Mary's Fate
by benbrattlover
Summary: UPDATED! CHAPTER 12 POSTED! What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye". PG or PG-13 at first, may or may not increase to R later, based on author's whims! PLEASE READ & REVIEW!
1. Mary's Thoughts

**Author's Notes: **This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

Also, if you would like to be notified whenever a story is updated, or any new stories are posted to this site, and you are a registered member of (Registration & membership is free) you can add me to your Author Alert list, and will then receive email notification every time a new story is posted or a current story is updated by me, or any other author on your Alert list. To participate, all that is needed is, once you have logged onto the site, click on the Author Alert link, and enter the ID# of the Author(s) you want to add to your Alert list (Enter only 1 ID at a time) Then, click on the "Add Author" button, and you're all done! If you are interested in adding me to your Author Alert list, the following is my ID#44374

I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks.

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating:** PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Contact:** Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

It is a dark and cold day in Buffalo, New York. The weather forecast on TV is predicting a heavy snowfall, and it looks like that will be an accurate assessment. The snow, sleet and ice is already coming down in sheets and accumulating in heavy piles on the ground, and it doesn't show any signs of stopping in the near future.

I stare glumly out the window, at the gray, cloudy and blustery day and sigh. My life is such a mess and although I know exactly when it all started and whose fault it is, it makes no difference. All that doesn't matter now. It all seems so long ago. Was it only yesterday that I came home from the movies and was confronted by my entire family in what my dad called a "prevention"? Everyone was there, Mom, Dad, Lucy, and Simon. Even Matt and little Ruthie were there too. I could not believe after how Mom and Dad stabbed me in the back, they could sit there and tell me how out of control I was. If it weren't for them I would never have had these problems in the first place. If only they had acted like the other parents who were mad at the school, then there would have been so many angry parents that Ms. Russell, and the athletic director would not have let Coach Cleary cancel the team.

Instead Mom and Dad stabbed me in the back by saying that they supported Coach Cleary, the school and their decision to cancel the basketball season. But at least I got back at the school and Coach Cleary when a few of the other girls on the Varsity basketball team and I trashed the gym. Even though we got caught and arrested, it was fun getting revenge on all those bastards.

I wish I were back in Glenoak. I hate Buffalo, and I hate staying with the Colonel and Grandma Ruth. This is all Coach Cleary's fault. If it weren't for him, I would be in college on a basketball scholarship now, instead of stuck here. If he had not acted so high and mighty, and a power unto himself, the basketball team would never have been cancelled and I would never have gotten involved with trashing the gym. I would never have lost my scholarship. This is all Coach Cleary's fault. Why did he have to cancel the basketball team? He had no right. He made up his own rules, and standards. The Girls Varsity team met the minimum requirements, so we should have been allowed to play. Then I would never have gotten involved in trashing the gym with the other girls.

Instead I would have played basketball for the rest of the season, kept my athletic scholarship, would have been able to go to a good college and then go pro, and play for the WNBA or something. But now that is never going to happen. I can't even play basketball anymore. The memories are too painful. After everything I have gone through, to lose it all because of others is not fair. I worked so hard to recover. Even after Michael Towner hit me with his car and I had to do all that painful physical therapy, and then that incident with Coach Koper, after all that, all I went through to come back and play basketball, it is all gone. Everything I worked for is gone, and now I have nothing. I hate Coach Cleary. I could not believe the nerve of him asking me to coach the basketball team for people with Down's syndrome and other handicaps. I mean the audacity of that man asking me to help him and do something for him after he totally screwed up my life. I should have told him to kiss off. But I was tricked into it by meeting Molly and finding out her dad was a scout for the pros. After I found out that he didn't want to recruit me, I should have just quit coaching that team and told Cleary to kiss my ass. I don't know why I didn't I guess I just felt some obligation and connection to Molly.

Yesterday, at that creepy intervention that my dad called a "prevention", Lucy said she thinks that I should play basketball again, or some other sport. Yeah right. She said that I am not being kept out of all the teams in the community, and a whole bunch of other junk. What's the point of playing on a community basketball team with amateurs? I was on the Varsity girls team and I had the potential to go pro, and play for the WNBA, if Coach Cleary, and my parents had not screwed that up. Now they want me to settle for playing on a community team with amateurs, and senior citizens who have nothing better to do? Yeah right.

I still can't believe it was only yesterday that I came home from the movies and was confronted by my entire family. They knew about everything. They knew about my drinking, my financial problems, why I lost my job at the pool hall and Pete's Pizza, that I was still seeing Frankie and Johnny, what happened when I was babysitting Erica for Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank, that I had no car insurance, and that I was stopped by the cops after I went out drinking with Frankie and Johnny after work.

I cannot believe all these people told my parents everything. Isn't there some kind of law against that or something? I mean I am 18 now. It is my business. Isn't there some kind of confidentiality agreement, against divulging privileged information? I mean, I know Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank were angry about Mercy being there and an alcohol bottle being on the coffee table, but come on, it's not like I was drinking it. Anyway, besides my aunt and uncle are relatives. But the others had no right to tell my parents, like the people at the bank, car dealership, and insurance office. I know Dad is friends with Sergeant Michaels, but still he had no right to tell my parents. Especially since he had no proof I was drinking and driving. He wasn't even there. Maybe I had a couple of beers with Frankie and Johnny after work, but still Sergeant Michaels had no right to tell my parents.

That is another thing. I can't believe Pete told my dad the real reason I lost my job. Talk about nepotism. I mean just because Frankie and Johnny are related to him, he lets them keep their jobs, even though he knows they were the ones that were drinking the pizza place's beer after work, and he lets me go even though he has no proof that I was drinking too. Then to top it all off, instead of keeping his big mouth shut, he goes and tells my dad everything. I just can't believe it.

My parents also found the joint that I got from Frankie and Johnny. I cannot believe they searched my room. They are like total communists. Its not like I was going to smoke that joint. God, I hate my life. I cannot believe it was only yesterday that my mom told me she had put two suitcases in my room, and I found out I was being sent to Buffalo to stay with the Colonel and Grandma Ruth.

I hate it here so much. I wish I were back in Glenoak. I hate Buffalo. I wish could run away, but I don't even have my car anymore. I don't understand how my dad can just take ownership of my car just like that. I am an adult and that is my car. Just because he is my dad doesn't mean he can just take it without my consent. That is stealing. But nobody cares. He just takes control and steals my car and nobody does anything. It doesn't even make sense. How can he just do that? How can he take ownership of MY car just like that? It's stealing. That's what it is. My dad stole my car and nobody's doing anything about it because he is well known by everyone, including the police.

Maybe I am just better off dead. My life is so screwed up anyhow. Yeah, that's it. I'll just kill myself. It's not like my life is ever going to change or get any better. Coach Cleary, Ms. Russell, and my parents have messed it up too much for it to ever change. So that's what I'll do. I'll just kill myself.

"Mary!" my Grandma Ruth calls from downstairs, "Are you getting ready to go? We'll be leaving for the homeless shelter in ten minutes."

God, I hate this. I hate living with my grandparents. I can't wait till I can kill myself. I hope Coach Cleary and Ms. Russell feel especially bad and guilty for screwing up my life when they find out I am dead. I could have had such a great life if it weren't for them and my parents. I could have played basketball for the rest of the season of my senior year, then graduated and gone to college on a basketball scholarship and then turned pro. I had so much potential to become a star. Instead, look at me now. My life is in complete shambles. I am broke, in debt, unemployed and kicked out by my own backstabbing family. I could have done something with my life if it weren't for them. Well, at least it'll all be over soon.

I just wonder how I should do it. Maybe I'll slit my wrists. But what if I don't die but instead end up addicted to cutting like Lucy's friend Nicole. Or maybe I should try to jump off a roof like that kid my dad helped on the first day of school a few years ago. I don't know. All I know is, I want out of this hellhole.

To Be Continued…


	2. Mary's Note

******Author's Notes:**This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

Also, if you would like to be notified whenever a story is updated, or any new stories are posted to this site, and you are a registered member of (Registration & membership is free) you can add me to your Author Alert list, and will then receive email notification every time a new story is posted or a current story is updated by me, or any other author on your Alert list. To participate, all that is needed is, once you have logged onto the site, click on the Author Alert link, and enter the ID# of the Author(s) you want to add to your Alert list (Enter only 1 ID at a time) Then, click on the "Add Author" button, and you're all done! If you are interested in adding me to your Author Alert list, the following is my ID#44374

I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks.

******Summary:**What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating:**PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

I just got back from my job interview at the homeless shelter, and I hate it. The job stinks as I assumed it would. If my dad and mom are doing this to punish me and teach me a lesson about how crummy my life is they're sure have the right idea. This job at the homeless shelter is only pays $4.15 an hour. I made twice that at the pool hall in wages alone, not even counting tips. I can't believe I'll only be making $4.15 an hour. After taxes, that leaves me with almost nothing. It'll take me forever to pay back the money from Sam and David's piggy banks, not to mention all the other bills and debts I got to pay off. God I hate my life. I wish I were dead. This totally sucks. I hate being in Buffalo, I hate staying with the Colonel and Grandma Ruth. I want to run away and go back to Glenoak, but since that is out of the question, I guess I'll just kill myself. That's the only way out of this hell.

I start looking around the room trying to find something that I can use to commit suicide. Then I realize that there'll probably be a ton of stuff in the bathroom that I can use. But, first things first. I guess I should write a note. I get up from the bed and walk over to the desk on the other side of the room. I pull a fresh sheet of loose-leaf notebook paper and a pen out of a desk drawer, and then sit down to write the note. Well, here goes…

_To Everyone,_

_I am sorry for doing this, but I just cannot live like this anymore. Ever since the basketball team was cancelled, everything has been so screwed up. Basketball was the only thing I was really good at, that I had a future in. Then Coach Cleary, Ms. Russell, and you guys all took that away from me and left me with nothing. I am so sorry that things had to end this way, but you made your own decisions and now I have made mine. I am sorry._

_You could have chosen to stand by me like the other parents did with their kids, when Coach Cleary cancelled the basketball team. Instead, you decided to support Coach Cleary, Ms. Russell, and the school, rather than your own daughter, and now you are going to have to live with your decisions. Even after everything, you could have still changed your minds and decided to help me. Even after the team had been cancelled, the gym trashed and vandalized, and the other girls and I were arrested, you still had a chance to help me._

_When Coach Cleary came back after totally screwing up my life, expecting me to coach the basketball team for people with Down's syndrome and other handicaps, I should have just told him to kiss off. Instead, you all tricked me into doing it by having me meet Molly, and find out her dad is a scout for the pros. You knew that he was not looking to recruit me, but you let me go on believing it, and have all my dreams destroyed. After I found out that he didn't want to recruit me, I should have just quit coaching that team and told Cleary to kiss my ass. I don't know why I didn't._

_You had many chances to help me and you blew them all. That was your choice, and now you are going to have to live with it. Even in the end you still could have helped me. Its not like you can't, because you have helped everyone else. But when it comes to your own daughter, your own flesh and blood, your idea of help, is to kick me out and ship me off to Buffalo, to the other side of the country._

_You said that there are six other kids in the family, and that I have taken more than your fair share of time and attention. Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you had so many children. You shouldn't have had so many kids if you could not handle them all. Just because you guys can't keep your hands off each other is no reason to ship one of your kids across the country. It's not my fault you have so many kids that you can't spend time with them all. It's your fault for not planning better and for not realizing that each kid deserves to have parents who will help them, guide them, support them and stand by them, even when they are in trouble. If you don't have the time, or energy to do that, then maybe you shouldn't have had seven children. I am sorry to say that, but you all messed up my life and then you got rid of me._

_I'm sorry that things turned out this way, but you made your choice. You chose to ship me off to live with the Colonel, and Grandma Ruth. People who were and are so cold, distant, and emotionally remote towards their children that one of them became an alcoholic, and you say that you want to get me away from Frankie, Johnny and their problems? Like this is much better._

_I'm sorry but I can't live like this anymore. My life is just too messed up, and being in Buffalo has just made it worse. I'm sorry, I know you meant well but you screwed up my life and then made it worse by shipping me off here. I've had enough, and I give up. I'm committing suicide. That's the only way out of this hell. This is all Coach Cleary and Ms. Russell's fault. I'm sorry for any and all of the pain, and worry I've caused, but you all are better off without me. Like you said, I take up too much of your time, and you have Matt, Lucy, Simon, Ruthie, Sam and David to take care of. Anyway I can't live like this anymore. Really, this is best for everyone. You don't need me, and are better off without me. I'm sorry for any and all of the pain, and worry I've caused, but it's all for the best. Take care of yourselves and each other. I wish I could be stronger, I'm sorry._

_Goodbye,_

_Mary_

I put the pen down, and brush away the gathering tears from my eyes. Well, that's done now and it's time to do it. I get up from the desk and push the chair in so no one trips over it. I pick up the note, and walk across the room, to the attached bathroom. The only good thing about staying with my grandparents is having entire suite to myself, and not having to share with Lucy or anyone else. My grandparents' house is huge, and I have my own bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room. It will probably come in handy now. Without anyone around needing to come in and use the bathroom or something, it will be much easier to commit suicide. It's the only advantage of being in Buffalo.

I open the door and step into the bathroom. I'm all alone at home. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth have gone out with George and his dad to some program at George's school, then my grandparents are taking them out to dinner and a movie, and they won't be back until late tonight. They probably won't be home until at least after midnight, and hopefully I'll be dead by that time. I am so relieved that it'll all be over soon, but I wish I hadn't waited this long to commit suicide. I should have just killed myself after Coach Cleary cancelled the basketball season, or after I was arrested along with a few girls from the basketball team for vandalizing the gym. I shouldn't have waited this long, till my problems got this bad before doing something.

In the bathroom, I open the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet, and see my reflection in the glass. Immediately, I notice the difference in my appearance from when all this first began almost a year ago. For one, I have gained a lot of weight since the basketball season was cancelled. With no team to work out with, and no consistent and structured exercise regime like I had when I played basketball, not to mention the constant overeating and always eating junk food to cheer myself up, I have gained at least twenty or thirty pounds minimum, over the last year. The radiant and shining eyes that once used to twinkle with happiness are now bloodshot, gray and devoid of life.

But I'm glad it'll all be ending soon, when I commit suicide. Because when Coach Cleary cancelled the team, he didn't just end my basketball career, and any chance or possibility of my turning pro, he destroyed my life. Basketball was who I was, it was my identity and how I was defined. It was the only thing I was really good at. When Coach Cleary took that away from me, he doomed me to a life of desolation, failure, and misery, and in essence drove me to commit suicide, and caused my death.

I put the note on the bathroom counter, leaning against the wall, and poke around in the medicine cabinet. I start pulling out pill bottles and putting them on the bathroom counter. When the medicine cabinet is finally empty, there are about ten to twelve bottles, and I pull all the caps off, and one by one, I empty the contents of each bottle onto the counter until there is a pile of pills in different shapes and colors. I throw all the empty bottles into the trash can, and then decide to take out the trash so that even if someone finds me they won't know what I have taken right away, and I'd hopefully be dead by the time they figured it out. So I pull the plastic bag out of the trash can, close it and tie it up and then take it outside to the garbage dumpster.

When I come back inside, I wash my hands, get the tallest glass I can find out of the kitchen and fill it with water. I go back to my bathroom, and lock the door, so no one can get in without breaking the door down. I take a deep breath, look at myself in the mirror one last time, and then start swallowing pills as fast as I can. I keep gulping them down. First, one at a time, then two at a time, four at a time, and finally a handful at a time. I feel myself falling, falling, into a dark chasm. I am so tired, drained and exhausted. Soon I will be free of all this hell. I catch one last glimpse of my surroundings. I look around the bathroom and then close my eyes and let the comforting blackness embrace, and envelop me….

To Be Continued…..


	3. Coming Home

******Author's Notes:**This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

Also, if you would like to be notified whenever a story is updated, or any new stories are posted to this site, and you are a registered member of (Registration & membership is free) you can add me to your Author Alert list, and will then receive email notification every time a new story is posted or a current story is updated by me, or any other author on your Alert list. To participate, all that is needed is, once you have logged onto the site, click on the Author Alert link, and enter the ID# of the Author(s) you want to add to your Alert list (Enter only 1 ID at a time) Then, click on the "Add Author" button, and you're all done! If you are interested in adding me to your Author Alert list, the following is my ID#44374

I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks.

******Summary:**What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating:**PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out on her bathroom floor. At the end of the last chapter, she is lying unconscious in the bathroom, because she was home alone. The Colonel and Grandma Ruth had gone out with George and his father to a program at George's school. Then her grandparents were taking George and his dad out to dinner and a movie. When this chapter begins, nobody knows about Mary yet, because everyone just got home.

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

"Gosh, that was a funny movie, wasn't it?" George said as he walked into the house with his adoptive father and mother, Colonel John and Ruth Camden, and his biological father, Will Gracen.

"I guess, but I thought "_Miss Congeniality_" could have been better" answered the Colonel, and then continued, "Although that Sandra Bullock is one hot and pretty lady!"

Just then Ruth jokingly hit him on the shoulder with her purse.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!' the Colonel corrected himself. "Nowhere near as hot or pretty as my darling wife Ruth"

"What about you Will? What did you think of the movie?" asked Ruth

"Well, I'm with Colonel John on this one, Ruth. I thought it was okay, yet it wasn't that great," said Will, "But if I was, oh say about five or ten years younger, and I stood a chance, I'd want to ask out Sandra Bullock. Don't tell me you don't think that way about Benjamin Bratt."

"Nah" replied Ruth. "He's very cute but he is too young for me. Besides, I love John and am perfectly happy with him. Benjamin Bratt is practically a child. Why, he's nearly half my age! He would be better off with a girl around Matt's age, or a maybe a decade or so older. Anyway, I love John, and am happily married, with two beautiful, successful grown children, George, and eight grandchildren, and that's all I need or want."

"Speaking of grandchildren…" said the Will and the Colonel simultaneously, "Shouldn't we check in on Mary, our own resident troublemaker?"

"Why don't I do it?" asked George," She may not have had dinner yet, and might want some of the wonton soup, spring rolls, shrimp fried rice, and kung pao chicken that we brought back for her, from the Chinese restaurant."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. That way she won't know that we don't trust her, and she won't feel like we are checking up on her," said Will. "Son, why don't you go upstairs and see how Mary is doing. It's five to eleven, so if she is asleep already, don't wake her up. But if she hasn't gone to bed yet, ask her if she would like to come downstairs and have a bite to eat with us".

"Us?" asked George. "But we already ate!"

"I know, but that was almost six hours ago and I am in the mood for a midnight snack. What about you?"

"Yeah me too" replied the Colonel and Grandma Ruth.

"Well, I guess I am kind of hungry again," admitted George.

"Then it's settled." The Colonel said in his take-charge voice. "Son, go upstairs and see what Mary's up to, and if she's awake, ask her if she would like to join us."

"Okay" said George as he ran up the spiral staircase.

Upstairs, George knocked on the heavy mahogany door to Mary's suite. There was no answer, so he knocked again, this time a little louder. Still no answer. So George loudly knocked a third time.

"Mary?" he called out. "It's me, George. You know the Uncle George that's younger than you," George joked. "Can I come in?"

When there was still no answer, George turned the knob and found out it wasn't locked, so he opened the door and walked into Mary's sitting room. The room was empty, and he thought Mary might be in her bedroom. So George walked over to the bedroom door, and knocked loudly. But there was no answer. But instead of waiting, or knocking again, he turned the doorknob, and opened Mary's bedroom door.

George was surprised to find Mary's bedroom also empty. He began to get worried, until he turned and saw a light in Mary's bathroom from under the door. He figured Mary was in there, she would come out when she was done, and then he's ask her. But he did not want to go downstairs and then come back up again, so he decided that he would just wait here and hang out in Mary's suite until she was finished. He went back into her sitting room, turned on the TV, picked up the remote control and started flipping through the channels

"Lets see what's on now, while I wait," George thought. "Jay Leno, Politically Incorrect, a rerun of Law and Order, David Letterman, a rerun of Star Trek, CNN, a rerun of Homicide-Life on the Street, the late edition of the local news, a French game show and a Spanish soap opera.

Finally George decided to watch the rerun of Law and Order. He hoped it was one of the newer episodes with Jill Hennessy, or Carey Lowell. He wished A&E would also start showing some reruns with Angie Harmon. He loved the episodes with Jill Hennessy, Carey Lowell, and Angie Harmon. He had a HUGE crush on all three of those women. George watched and saw it was the Wendy Sylvester episode and it had Jill Hennessy in it. So he got into a comfortable position on the sofa and settled in to watch Law and Order while he waited.

It seemed that suddenly, before he knew it, the show was over, and it was then that George realized that an hour had gone by, and Mary still had not come out, and he had not heard a sound. She wasn't taking a shower or a bath. He would have heard that. The sound of the water in the pipes would have informed him of that. So if she wasn't taking a shower or a bath, she should have come out long ago. He started getting a very queasy feeling in his stomach that something was not right. He went back into her bedroom and pressed his ear to the bathroom door to see if he could hear Mary moving around inside. When he could not hear a sound, he got very alarmed and started shouting for help, and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Dad! Colonel! Somebody! Help! Help!" George screamed. The sound of footsteps pounding on the staircase grew closer and louder, as he kept screaming, hoping that Mary was okay, could hear him and would come out. That did not happen, and within a few seconds, the Colonel, Ruth, and Will all appeared.

"What's going on?" asked the Colonel "What's all the screaming for?"

"Yeah, what's the matter? We've been waiting for you. It's been an hour since you went up," said Will "Oh, and where's Mary?"

"That's what I've been screaming about," said George. "I think something is wrong with Mary." When I came up an hour ago, I knocked on her door and got no answer. The door was unlocked, so I came in. There was nobody in her sitting room so I knocked on her bedroom door. Again, I got no answer, so I opened the door. She wasn't in here either, and I started to get worried. Then I saw the light on in her bathroom, from under the door, and I figured she was probably in there, and that she would come out when she was done. I didn't want to go down and come up again, so I decided to hang out here and watch some TV while I waited, and before I knew it, and hour had passed and she still hadn't come out."

"Well, Son, maybe Mary is taking a long bath or a shower or something, she's lost track of time, and couldn't hear you knock," said the Colonel.

"I thought that, at first, but if she was taking a shower or a bath, there would be a sound of water in the pipes. At the very least, there would be a sound of splashing or Mary moving around inside the bathroom. But I haven't heard a single sound since I came up, and I have a feeling that something is very wrong." George said.

"Listen, to it for yourselves. Knock on the door. Then put your ears against the door and see if you can hear anything. If she was okay, at the very least you would hear her walking around inside. But there's complete silence. I am telling you, something's not right." He begged. "Please listen for yourselves."

Dutifully, the Colonel knocked on the door as loudly as he could. There was no answer. He loudly banged on the door once more. There still was no answer. Then the Colonel, Ruth and Will pressed their ears to the door, listened intently for a few minutes, and then shook their heads to indicate that they had not heard any sounds either.

"All right everybody, listen to me. I want everyone to stand back," said Will.

"What are you going to do?" George asked.

"Well the door is locked, it's not a kind of lock that has a key, and because the hinges are on the other side of the door I can't even pull out the hinge pins to open the door." Will explained, "So we have no choice. I'm going to have to break the door down to open it. So I want everyone to stand back."

So the Colonel, Ruth, and George all obediently step back, far away from the door. Will walks to the center of the room to get a running start to break the door down. He runs as fast as he can into the wooden door. It doesn't break right away on the first try. Instead the wood starts to splinter, and the doorknob starts to loosen and shake. So Will runs into the door a second time. It still doesn't break open. On the third try, the lining of the doorjamb splinters and breaks off. Finally on the fourth try, there is a cracking sound, and the door breaks open.

There is a loud gasp, as they all see Mary lying on the floor in a small pool of blood, unconscious….

To Be Continued…


	4. Finding Mary

******Author's Notes:**This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

Also, if you would like to be notified whenever a story is updated, or any new stories are posted to this site, and you are a registered member of (Registration & membership is free) you can add me to your Author Alert list, and will then receive email notification every time a new story is posted or a current story is updated by me, or any other author on your Alert list. To participate, all that is needed is, once you have logged onto the site, click on the Author Alert link, and enter the ID# of the Author(s) you want to add to your Alert list (Enter only 1 ID at a time) Then, click on the "Add Author" button, and you're all done! If you are interested in adding me to your Author Alert list, the following is my ID#44374

I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors.

******Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out on her bathroom floor. At the end of last chapter, George's biological father, Will Gracen had just broken down the bathroom door when everyone became concerned, after not hearing from Mary. So he broke down the door, and they all saw Mary lying on the bathroom floor in a small pool of blood, unconscious. No one had found Mary right away, because the Colonel and Grandma Ruth had gone out with George and his father to a program at George's school. Then her grandparents had taken George and his dad out to dinner and a movie. So at this point, Mary is lying unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood, having just been found by the Colonel, Grandma Ruth, Will, and George.

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

"Oh my God! Mary's dead!" George cried. "She died all alone while we were at the movies! Oh no! Oh my God!"

"Calm down, George! Mary's not dead. But she's hurt. Go call 911! Hurry! Get the paramedics! Have them send an ambulance right away! Hurry!" shrieked Ruth.

"Okay," George replied, starting to cry, as he ran towards the phone on an end table in the sitting room.

"Is she breathing? Does she have a pulse?" Will asked, as soon as George was out of earshot and hearing range. "I know first aid and CPR"

"I don't know, I can't tell, wait" Ruth cried, crouching on the floor next to her eldest granddaughter. "Yeah, she is breathing and has a pulse, but it's bad. Her breathing is really labored, and her pulse is very weak. We've got to get her to a hospital right away."

"What's wrong with Mary? Will she be all right? She's not going to die, is she?" George asked, sobbing

"No, of course she's not going to die, son," the Colonel said, "Stop crying. We don't know what's wrong with her. But we're going to help her now. You called 911?"

"Yeah, they said the paramedics and an ambulance are on its way" George answered.

"What happened here? How long has she been like this?" Ruth asked George imploringly, searching his eyes for some answer or explanation. But there was none. He was as baffled as the others.

"I have no idea." George cried. "I told you everything I know. This is the first time I've seen Mary since we got home. When I came upstairs, I knocked on her door and got no answer. The door was unlocked, so I came in. There was nobody in her sitting room so I knocked on her bedroom door. Again, I got no answer, so I opened the door. She wasn't in here either, and I started to get worried. Then I saw the light on in her bathroom, from under the door, and I assumed she was probably in here, and that she would come out when she was done. I didn't want to go down and come up again, so I decided to hang out here. I sat on the sofa in her sitting room and watched a rerun of Law and Order. When the show ended, I realized an hour had gone by, and Mary still hadn't come out. So I put my ear against her bathroom door to see if I could hear her moving around inside. When I didn't hear any sounds, I got scared and called you guys. I promise that's all I know. I don't know anything else, I swear."

"Ssh, ssh, it's okay, we believe you," Ruth consoled, putting her arms around George and embracing him.

"Hey, what's that?" George asked, pointing to a piece of paper on the bathroom counter, leaning against the wall.

"This?" the Colonel asked, picking up Mary's note. "I don't know." He quickly glanced over the contents, got a funny expression on his face and cleared his throat.

"Um, George, do you mind going downstairs and waiting for the paramedics? They're going to be here any minute, and they'll need someone to let them in, and show them up here. O.K?" requested the Colonel.

"Fine, but before I go, tell me what's on that paper."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just go down and wait for the paramedics." The Colonel instructed.

"All right." George turned and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, there was a sound of footsteps going down the stairs. The Colonel began reading the note and became ashen.

"What is it, John?" asked Will, looking anxiously at the pale man.

Ruth looked at her husband, who had become as white as a sheet, and immediately ran to his side.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. "What is it? Tell us!"

"It looks like a suicide note," the Colonel answered weakly, passing the note to his wife.

"Suicide note?" Ruth asked quizzically. "That's not possible. Mary would never, ever do that. I mean, she may have a lot of problems and issues right now, but she would never…" her voice trailed off as she picked up the note and started reading.

"Oh my God" Ruth cried, as she lurched forward and began to crumple to the floor. She grabbed onto the edge of the bathroom counter for support, and held on for dear life. "Mary's tried to kill herself. I don't understand it. I know she has problems, but never this. I just can't believe Mary would try to commit suicide."

Just then, George appeared, with the paramedics right behind him. They immediately knelt on the floor, and began working on Mary. But it was obvious from the expression on George's face, that he had overheard the last part of the conversation.

"What did you just say?" asked George, his eyes flashing.

"Uh…. nothing, son. Don't worry about it," said Will. "Why don't you and I go downstairs, and give the paramedics some space, so they have room to help Mary, O.K.?"

"Not until you guys tell me what you just said. I'm not a child. I may be younger than her, but Mary is still my niece, I'm still her uncle, and I care about her, and I want to know what's going on, and I want to know now." George demanded. "You can tell me downstairs so the paramedics have room to work, and help Mary, but if something is going on with her, I want to know."

"Okay," said Will. "Let's go downstairs and talk."

George and his father started to head downstairs, when the Colonel stopped them.

"Here," he said, handing Mary's note to Will. "Take this with you. You might need it. George may want to read it."

"Okay" Will answered, taking the note, and going downstairs with his son.

The paramedics who had been quietly working on Mary, began shouting information, and barking instructions at one another.

"Pulse is 90, weak and thready. B.P.'s 70 over 50," shouted a paramedic named Lyle Monroe.

"Decreased breath sounds. Pupils are mid-range and sluggish."

"She's hypotensive," called out another paramedic named James Sutton. "Pulse ox is down to 75. She needs to be intubated."

One of the paramedics put a long tube down Mary's throat, and connected it to an air pump, while another paramedic inserted an oxygen tube in Mary's nose. Meanwhile a couple of uniformed police officers arrived and were asking the Colonel and Grandma Ruth questions about what had happened to Mary.

"GCS is 4! She's comatose ! We've got to get her to a hospital now !

Stat !" exclaimed another paramedic.

"Which hospital are you taking her to?" the Colonel and Grandma Ruth asked tearfully.

"For now, we're taking her to Buffalo General. But she's in a coma right now, and her condition is so bad that once she's stabilized, the doctors might move her somewhere else," the same paramedic explained. "Later, they will probably want to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities. But for now, the most important thing is to get her to a hospital immediately to be stabilized, and Buffalo General is the closest." The paramedic cleared his throat, swallowed, and then continued. "You can ride with us and your granddaughter in the ambulance if you prefer not to drive."

"Thanks, we'd appreciate that," nodded the Colonel and Grandma Ruth. "You are so caring and helpful. Could you tell us your name?"

"Sure. I am Paramedic Mike Zambrano," he answered. "Your granddaughter's name is Mary, right?"

The Colonel and Grandma Ruth nodded.

"All right people! Monroe! Sutton! Let's get Mary carefully on a stretcher, and to the hospital now!" Paramedic Zambrano shouted.

The two paramedics Lyle Monroe, and James Sutton, gently lifted Mary onto the gurney without jostling or interfering with all the tubes, and IV's. They laid her on the stretcher, and put the oxygen tank between her feet. Lyle and James began fastening all the seatbelts and bed straps to secure Mary during the ride to the hospital. The paramedics rolled the gurney out of the bathroom, through Mary's bedroom and sitting room and into the hall. When they reached the stairs, Lyle and James collapsed the legs of the stretcher, and they carried Mary down the stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, they pulled the legs of the stretcher back out and began rolling it towards the front door, when Will and George came out of the den. George had tears in his eyes and it was obvious that he had been crying because his eyes were red and puffy. Will and George came out just as the stretcher rolled past the open door of the den.

"Will, George, they're taking Mary to Buffalo General, at least for now. Later they may transfer her elsewhere, but right now they are taking her to Buffalo General until she is stabilized," explained Grandma Ruth. "The paramedics said that Mary is in a coma. Eric and Annie need to be called, and told about what's happened. John and I are going with Mary in the ambulance to the hospital. I guess we'll call them from there." Grandma Ruth cleared her throat, swallowed and continued.

"John, do you have your calling card with you?" she asked

"Yeah, but I don't have any minutes left on it. I've been meaning to call and get more minutes added to the darn thing. I guess I just forgot."

Grandma Ruth looked at him in disbelief. "You forgot!" she shrieked loudly. "How could you forget? How could you not remember to get the minutes added? Now what are we going to do? The payphones don't take coins for long-distance calls. How are we going to call her parents from the hospital?"

"It's an emergency, so I guess we could call them collect" suggested the Colonel.

"Nonsense. Listen, John, Ruth, don't worry about that. We'll take care of it." Will promised. "George and I will call Eric and Annie, and let them know what's going on. Then I'll drive one of the cars and George and I will join you at the hospital."

"Oh, would you, Will" Grandma Ruth asked. "We'd appreciate it so much. Their number is in the black address book on the nightstand by my side of the bed, next to the phone. Thank you for doing this. We are so grateful. "

"No problem," Will replied. "You all are like family to us now."

"Thanks," the Colonel said gruffly. "O.K., lets go get in ambulance now, Ruth. They're waiting for us."

"All right. We'll see you later. Take care, you two. Bye" she said.

The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, Will and George walked out the front door, and onto the circular driveway. Then Will and George watched as they got into the back of the ambulance, the doors slammed shut and with lights flashing and sirens blaring, the ambulance sped away.

With a heavy heart, Will and George silently trudged into the house to make the dreaded call to Glenoak, 3,000 miles away, to tell Eric and Annie that their eldest daughter was in a coma after trying to kill herself.

George plodded upstairs to the Colonel and Grandma Ruth's bedroom to get the address book, from the nightstand. Then he went back downstairs and handed it to Will without a single word.

Will sighed as he opened the address book, and got the number. Then with a heavy heart he picked up the phone and started dialing the call to Eric and Annie…

To Be Continued…


	5. The Call

******Author's Notes:**This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

Also, if you would like to be notified whenever a story is updated, or any new stories are posted to this site, and you are a registered member of (Registration & membership is free) you can add me to your Author Alert list, and will then receive email notification every time a new story is posted or a current story is updated by me, or any other author on your Alert list. To participate, all that is needed is, once you have logged onto the site, click on the Author Alert link, and enter the ID# of the Author(s) you want to add to your Alert list (Enter only 1 ID at a time) Then, click on the "Add Author" button, and you're all done! If you are interested in adding me to your Author Alert list, the following is my ID#44374

I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks!

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

******Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out on her bathroom floor. No one had found Mary right away, because the Colonel and Grandma Ruth had gone out with George and his father to a program at George's school. Then her grandparents had taken George and his dad out to dinner and a movie. George's biological father, Will Gracen had just broken down the bathroom door when everyone became concerned, after not hearing from Mary. At the end of last chapter, Mary was being rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3000 miles away. So at this point, Eric and Annie have no clue what is going on with Mary, in Buffalo. Though, they are going to find out soon, because they're about to get a phone call from Will, telling them what has happened.

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

It was still sunny and bright out in Glenoak. Even though it was 9:30 at night, the sun had still not set. It was the middle of November and yet, the weather was so beautiful, that one could almost think that it was almost spring, instead of it being just days away from the beginning of winter. The wind was blowing a cool and gentle breeze, and Eric Camden smiled as he walked briskly back towards his house. Ever since his mild heart attack over a year ago, his doctor had suggested walking as a good form of exercise, and Eric liked it, especially along the quiet, and serene streets of Glenoak. He found it rather relaxing and peaceful. It also gave him time to think, and to clear his head.

Meanwhile at home…

"Mom! Why can't I go out with Carol and Sue Murphy again?" shouted Simon. "They're the coolest girls in school. We're not going to do anything, I promise. Why can't I just go to dinner and the movies with them?"

"You know exactly why, Simon," Annie replied curtly. "Because of what happened last time you went out with the Murphy twins."

"But I didn't do anything then," Simon argued. "They did."

"Yes, but you all created havoc throughout Glenoak, and your father and I ended up getting a call from Sergeant Michaels," explained Annie. "That's why you can't go out with them. Besides, didn't your father and I tell you that you were grounded for two months for the stunts you pulled when you went out on that double date with Carol and Sue Murphy? Didn't we say that you were restricted to the house, no phone, no dessert, and no TV, and you can only go to school, church, and Sunday school?"

"Yeah, but Mo-om! They're the coolest kids in school" Simon whined. "I got to go out with them! You have to let me go out with them."

"Actually, Simon, I don't "have" to do anything except put a roof over your head, food in your stomach, clothes on your back, education in your brain, and medical care for your body," answered Annie picking up Sam from the crib and laying him on the changing table. She quickly and expertly removed Sam's dirty diaper, cleaned him up, put a fresh, clean diaper on, and handed him to Simon.

"Here take Sam, while I change David's diaper," said Annie as she got David out of his crib, laid him on the table and changed his diaper. Then she coughed, cleared her throat and continued to speak.

"Other than that, everything else that I do is because I want to, not because I have to. Going out is a privilege, and it's a privilege you've lost because of what you did the last time you went out."

"But we'll behave ourselves, I promise. We'll just go straight to dinner, eat, pay our bill, walk straight to the theater at the Promenade, buy the tickets, watch the movie and then come straight home," Simon assured his mother." We won't do anything, I promise."

"That's good," said Annie, as she took Sam from Simon. She was carrying Sam in one arm and David in the other. "Then you can show us that in six months, when you earn back the privilege to go out."

"Six months!" shrieked Simon. "I thought you and Dad said I was only grounded for two months!"

"You are," Annie reassured her son. "YOU are only grounded for two months. But I spoke to Jack Murphy and he said that Carol and Sue are grounded for six months. So you see, Simon, it doesn't matter if we let you go out, because the Murphy twins are still grounded for six months. Jack said because what they did was much worse than what you did, their punishment should be harsher than yours."

"How did they even know how long I was grounded for?" demanded Simon. "What, did you guys all get together and decide how long we should be grounded?"

"Actually we did, Simon," the Reverend Camden answered, walking into the room. "Your mother and I discussed the situation with Jack and Ellen Murphy and we all agreed that since _you_ didn't actually _do_anything, you shouldn't not be grounded as long as the twins. We all talked and we decided you should be grounded for two months since you did create havoc in Glenoak, and your mother and I ended up being called by Sgt. Michaels, and that what the twins did was so bad, that they should be grounded for six months."

"Six months!" Simon said. " I can't go out with the twins for six months!'

"I'm sorry, Simon," replied Reverend Camden. "But, two out of those six months, you are grounded yourself, then when you get off grounding, it'll only be four months more. Remember, you can still see them in school and church, where you are supervised. You just can't go out alone for six months, and maybe when you are allowed to see them again, you'll remember to behave yourself."

Just then the telephone rang. Simon immediately made a move towards the phone, hoping that one, or both of the Murphy twins managed to sneak in a phone call. But his mother immediately stopped him with a glaring look.

"No phone, for two months, Simon" Annie admonished, as she looked at her husband imploringly, as the phone rang a second time, and the twins fidgeted in her arms.

"I'll get it, since you have your hands full with the twins, and Simon is not allowed to use the phone," said Eric.

He walked over to the nightstand table and picked the portable cordless phone out of its base, and pressed the talk button. Then seeing how his wife was struggling to carry both of the fidgeting and fussy twins on her own, Eric balanced the portable phone on his shoulder, cradled it with his ear, and motioned that he would carry one of the twins. He lifted David out of Annie's arms, and she nodded gratefully, as she silently shifted Sam to the other side and began carrying him in both arms to reduce the weight on her body. Eric carried David in one arm, and held the phone with the other.

"Hello?" Eric said into the receiver.

"Eric?" shouted Will Gracen, from 3,000 miles away. "Is that you? Is this Reverend Eric Camden?"

"Yes, this is Reverend Eric Camden. Who is this?"

"This is Will Gracen. You may or may not remember me, but I'm George's biological father"

"Yes, Will, I remember you. What can I do for you?"

"Eric, we have to talk. It's about Mary," said Will, gathering up all his courage to tell Eric what has happened

"What about Mary?" the Reverend inquired.

"I have some bad news," Will swallowed, cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. He knew it was going to be so hard to tell Eric from 3,000 miles away that his eldest daughter was in a coma. "It's really bad, and I don't know how to say it."

"Oh no, what is it this time?" asked Rev. Camden. "What's Mary done now?"

"Eric, there's no easy way to put this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it," sighed Will, as he took another deep breath and continued. "Mary's tried to kill herself. She's been rushed to Buffalo General Hospital. The paramedics said her condition is so bad that she may have to be transferred to another hospital with better facilities once she's stabilized. But right now, Mary is in a coma, and is being taken to Buffalo General. I think both you and Annie should come here right away."

Will kept talking, saying how they all had found Mary and the note. Meanwhile, in Glenoak, Eric had become very pale, and had collapsed into a chair, in shock.

"Eric!" Annie cried, handing Sam to Simon, and rushing over to her husband's side. "What's wrong?"

"Dad! Are you okay?" shouted Simon, as he put Sam back in his crib. Then he went to his father's side, took David, who was howling, out of Eric's arms, put him back in his crib, and rushed back to his father. "What happened?"

"Th-thh–thh-that was Will, George's father on the phone," Eric stuttered. "H-he said that M-M-Mary's tried to k-k-k-kill herself. Sh-sh-she's been rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in a c-c-c-c-coma."

"What!" shrieked Annie in disbelief. "Mary's tried to _what_?"

Eric had tears in his eyes as he tried to comfort and console his wife who had become hysterical.

"Why? Why would she do it, Eric? Why?" Annie demanded, sobbing. "Why would Mary try to commit suicide?"

"I just can't believe it," said Simon tearfully. "Mary would never do something like that. Remember when she found Lucy's friend Nicole cutting herself? First, she wanted Lucy to stop hanging out with her, and then she told you what she saw so that Nicole could get help. She just would not do that. There must be some mistake."

"I wish that it was, Simon," Eric said quietly "I wish that this was just some sick joke or a horrible mistake, but it isn't, son. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, Will and George all found Mary in the bathroom unconscious and a note on the counter."

"Eric, I want to go to Buffalo immediately," demanded Annie. "I want to be there when our daughter comes out of the coma and wakes up. I don't care how long it takes. I want to be with Mary now."

"Of course. I understand." soothed Eric. "I feel the exact same way. We'll take the next flight out."

"I just don't get it. It doesn't make any sense." Simon replied." What exactly did Will say that the note said?"

It was then that Eric, Annie, and Simon all realized that Will was still waiting on the phone, at the other end of the line. Eric had not yet completed the conversation with him, and hung up the phone. Immediately Eric picked the phone up off the floor where he had dropped it in shock.

"Will, I am so sorry. It's just that we can't believe it," replied Eric. "We're so shocked, and stunned."

"I understand." Will said sympathetically. "We are all shocked ourselves. I've only known Mary for a couple of days but in that time I have begun to truly love and care about her like she's my own daughter, and seeing her so helpless, lying unconscious, and bleeding on the bathroom floor, cut me to the bone as if it was my George lying there. I am so sorry for having to tell you all this on the phone. Should I call someone to go to your house to be with you? That way you all are not alone."

"No, it's not necessary. But thanks so much." replied Eric softly. "We really appreciate your support and kindness."

"There's no need to thank me, Eric. We are like family now." Will answered. "Mary is just like a daughter to me, and we're all shocked, stunned, and devastated by what has happened. "

"Both Annie and I are coming to Buffalo," declared Eric. "We're taking the next flight out"

"O.K." Will said. "Call me back as soon as you get the airline information, and I'll come pick you up at the airport, because John and Ruth rode with Mary in the ambulance, and are at the hospital with her now. Again, Eric, I am so sorry."

"Thanks," said the Reverend quietly. I'll call as soon as I get the flight info."

"All right. I guess I'll talk to you later then, Eric." Will answered. "Bye."

"Bye," responded Eric wistfully, as he hung up the phone and turned to his wife and son.

"We have to let the others know, and we've got to find someone to stay and take care of the kids while we're gone," stated Eric. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, Matt is at the hospital working a double shift, Lucy is at the library studying with Mike Pierce, and Ruthie is in her room, doing homework, I think," Simon answered. "Do you want me to get her, so you can tell her what's happened?"

"Not yet," replied Eric. "First I'll call Bryan Walters over at the library and have him pass on a message to Lucy for her to come home immediately. After that, I'll call Julie, then the hospital, and have them page Matt, and Hank, in case Hank is on call and not at home with Julie and Erica."

As Annie went to the closet and got out "two suitcases" to pack Eric's and her clothes and personal effects, Simon started to leave the room. But his father stopped him.

"Simon, wait. Don't tell Ruthie about Mary just yet. We'll tell everybody all at once. We don't want to have to repeat it, individually." Eric said quietly. "Wait till everyone gets here. Then we'll say what's happened when all of us are together. So until everyone gets here, don't tell Ruthie."

"Okay," replied Simon. "Who's going to stay with us while you and Mom are in Buffalo?"

"Well, since they live outside the Glenoak school district, I'm going to ask Hank and Julie, if they will bring Erica and stay here at the house with you all, while we're gone." Eric explained. "That way you all can stay at home, and go to school and your other activities with the least amount of disruption."

"How long are you going to be gone?" asked Simon. "When are you coming back?"

"I honestly don't know, son," Reverend Camden answered. "It all depends on what happens with Mary, and how she does. We'll have to see. But we'll call everyday, and keep you all updated on the situation. Now, I have to make some calls, so I'd appreciate it if you could please go to your room for a little while, OK? If you need to, we'll talk some more later, I promise, OK?"

"Okay," replied Simon as he walked out of the room. Eric turned to his wife who was hurriedly packing two suitcases, one with his clothes and personal stuff and the other with hers. But, she was sobbing quietly as she took clothes off hangers, and out of drawers and threw them in the suitcases. Eric immediately rushed to Annie's side, embraced, and held her tightly while they both cried and sobbed.

To Be Continued….


	6. Making Calls

******Author's Notes:** I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to post this new chapter. My desktop computer broke down at the end of April, around the same time that my semester at school was coming to a close, and my access to the school's computer lab was terminated until the fall semester in September. Then soon after that the power cord to my laptop got frayed, and became unusable. So I lost all access to computers, until yesterday, July 17, 2001, when I finally decided to buy a new power adapter. I just got back computer access last night, after about two months or so, of not having any. So, I apologize for the delay in the writing and posting of the new chapter.

This was my first EVER attempt at a fanfic, so please do not flame me.

Please read and review. Be kind, yet please give me honest feedback. If you have a negative comment, it is okay to post it, but also include some practical suggestions on how I could make the story better. I love to write stories and poems and I want to be a good writer so I don't mind negative comments as long as they are not flames. Positive and/or helpful advice and pointers are appreciated and welcomed. Negative, AND unconstructive feedback is not, and will be deleted. Otherwise, feel free to write what you think, with the exception of flames. Thank you!

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I don't own any of the characters, except for the ones that I create. The "7th Heaven" characters belong to Aaron Spelling, Brenda Hampton, the ABC Family Channel, the WB Network, and all the creators, writers, producers and directors of this show. But I've written this story, I own this story, and all the others that I write, or have written. Please do not use, copy, post elsewhere, or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form without my permission. Thanks!

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

******Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood. George called the paramedics, and after examining her, they found that Mary was in a coma. The paramedics said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities.

So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. Will called Eric and Annie, and told them about Mary, and they decided to go to Buffalo on the next available flight. At the end of last chapter, Annie was packing the suitcases, while Eric was in the process of gathering his family together to let them know what happened.

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

Reverend Eric Camden, and his wife, Annie sat on the king-sized bed in their room, holding each other as they cried and sobbed. They had just received the news that their eldest daughter, 18 year old Mary, had tried to commit suicide, 3,000 miles away in Buffalo, New York. She was in a coma, and her condition was grave. Eric was about to make some phone calls to get the message to Matt, Lucy, Julie and Hank to come home immediately. As he was going to make the calls though, he saw Annie sobbing, so he rushed over to her, and held her as they both cried.

But a few minutes later, Eric realized that it was getting late and if they wanted to get a flight to Buffalo that night, they had to hurry. So he slowly, and gently nudged Annie, whose loud, wracking sobs had subsided, and had been reduced to silent tears and occasional sniffles.

"Annie," Eric murmured soothingly. "Hon, it's getting late. It's almost a quarter to ten. I have to go make some phone calls if we want to leave for Buffalo tonight. Will you be OK? Do you want me to call Simon to stay in here with you? I can make the calls from my study. Annie, will you be ok, sweetie?"

Annie nodded weakly with tears in her eyes. "I'll be fine, Eric. I need to finish packing anyway. So, why don't you make the calls from your study, After I'm finished packing, I'll come downstairs, and when everyone gets here, we'll tell them what's happened together."

"O.K. Holler if you need me, sweetheart," said Eric, picking the address book off the nightstand, as he walked out of the room, and went downstairs to his study. He had several phone calls to make. First he had to call the library, and have them send a message to Lucy, who was there studying with Mike Pierce, to come home immediately. After that he needed to call his sister, Julie, and then the hospital and have Matt, and Hank, Julie's husband, paged and told to come over right away. Next he had to call the airport, and see if there is an airline that has any more flights to Buffalo tonight, find out when the next flight is, and book two seats. Lastly, he had to call Will back and give him the flight information, so he could pick them up at the airport.

In his study, Eric sat down at his desk, opened his address book, picked up the phone, and dialed the number to the library.

"Hello, Glenoak Public Library, Bryan Walters speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hello, yes, Bryan? This is Eric Camden," said the Reverend quickly. "I'm calling because I need you to do me a favor, and it's urgent."

"Sure thing. What is it?"

"Well, Lucy is there right now, studying with Mike Pierce," Eric explained. "I need to talk to her right away. It's very important."

"Of course. Is everything OK, Reverend?" asked Bryan Walters, one of the librarians, and a member of the congregation of Eric's church.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's fine. I just need to speak to Lucy." Eric replied quickly, not wanting to get involved in a conversation with others about Mary, for two reasons. One, because he didn't want to waste time, since it was getting late and he had so much to do. Two, because there was enough gossip about Mary, going around as it was, thanks to Mrs. Beeker, and the other nosy church ladies, and he didn't want to do anything whatsoever to contribute to anymore rumors, that would just add fuel to the already burning fire.

"O.K. Well, I guess I'll go get Lucy, then," said Bryan, disappointed. Glenoak was a small town, he had heard the rumors about Mary, and he suspected that this sudden call to Lucy at the library had something to do with Mary, and the reason that she was no longer in Glenoak. But deep down, he really didn't like gossip, and he knew that it was none of his business, anyway. Within a few minutes, Lucy came on the phone.

"Dad? What happened? Why'd you call me here? What's wrong?" Lucy asked anxiously. She was very sensitive, empathetic, and caring. She was also very emotional, and Eric did not want to worry her, and risk her getting into a car accident on the way home because she was too preoccupied to concentrate on driving. So he tried to make himself sound as calm as possible, and not let on to Lucy that anything was wrong.

"Lucy, listen to me. Something's come up, and I need you to come home immediately." Eric instructed his daughter. "Now, Luce, I don't want you to worry. Just tell Mike that there's a family issue and you need to leave, and go home right away. On the way, don't think about anything but the road and driving. Luce, I want you to concentrate on the road, drive home as safely as you can, not worry, and get here as soon as possible, OK?"

"O.K." answered Lucy quietly. "Dad, are you all right?"

"Luce, I'm fine" Eric said tiredly. "Just drive safely and come home now, OK?"

"Okay. Bye, Dad." murmured Lucy. But Eric had already hung up the phone, so Lucy put the phone down, and quickly walked back over to the study table that she was sharing with Mike.

"Uh… Mike," Lucy stuttered. "As you know, and heard, that was my dad on the phone. He said that something's come up and I have to come home immediately. So we'll have to study and finish our project another day. Because I got to get home right away."

"Of course," nodded Mike in understanding. "That's fine. I mean, the project isn't due for another month, and we still have a couple of weeks until the test. We can get together some other time."

"Thanks," Lucy says, as she gathered up her things. "I really appreciate it, Mike."

"No problem," Mike gazed at his friend. "Lucy, is everything all right?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I guess I'll find out as soon as I get home," she said as she quickly put her textbooks, binders, and spiral notebooks in her backpack, and slipped her pens and pencils into her purse.

"O.K. I guess I'll see you later then," Mike murmured as Lucy slung her backpack over one shoulder before walking away from the table.

"Yeah, I'll call you. Bye." Lucy mumbled, as she left the room, walked over to the heavy glass double doors of the library, pushed them open, and walked out into the cool fall night. As she walked across the library's large parking lot, Lucy reached into her purse, pulled out a key ring, and sorted through the keys, until she comes across the right one. When she reached her car, Lucy quickly unlocked the door, slid into the driver's seat, slammed the door shut and immediately locked it. Even though Glenoak was a relatively safe area, these days, one could NEVER be too careful or cautious. Danger was always lurking just around the corner, waiting to pounce. It was also dark out and fairly late at night, almost ten o' clock. After Lucy locked the door, she put the key in the ignition, and started up the car.

Originally, Mary had bought this car, but when she was sent to Buffalo, her father had kept the car, and Lucy was using it now. She loved driving the stylish, sleek sports car that Mary had bought. Lucy was a great driver, and she handled the maintenance of the car herself, so it was kept in perfect, mint condition. She drove away from the library deep in thought. Even though her father had told her to only think about the road and driving, she couldn't keep her mind from drifting. She was very distracted, and was glad that the roads were empty and totally free of cars in the usually busy streets of downtown Glenoak. Lucy was so preoccupied and distracted that if there had been any kind of traffic whatsoever on the roads, she might have had an accident. In fact, she almost ran a red light before she realized what she was doing and fortunately, she was able to stop in time, before anything could happen.

Lucy was so anxious and worried about the phone call from her father. Even though he had told her not to worry, and just to get home safely, Lucy couldn't help it. She sensed that something was up, and there was something her father was hiding and not telling her. While she was driving, Lucy tried to think what it could be. She racked her brain trying to figure out what could be going on, and suddenly awful thoughts started running in her mind.

_Maybe something bad happened to someone in the family. Maybe Grandpa Charles, Ginger, Grandma Ruth, The Colonel, or George, is sick, hurt or has died. Or something has happened to Mom, Simon, Ruthie, Mary, Matt or the twins. Maybe something bad happened to Aunt Julie, Uncle Hank, or Erica. Or Dad could be sick again and not telling me, he did sound awfully drained, tired, and exhausted on the phone._

All these thoughts were racing around in her head throughout the drive, and Lucy was shaking by the time she reached her house.

Meanwhile, at home, while Annie was upstairs packing, Reverend Camden was using the phone in his study. After he finished talking to Lucy, the next call was to his sister Julie, and Eric took a deep breath as he picked up the phone and dialed her number from memory.

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring.

_Where is she?_ thought Eric. _Where the heck could she be at ten o' clock at night?_

Finally on the tenth ring, Julie answered the phone.

"Hello, Hastings residence, Julie speaking."

"Hello Julie, this Eric," Reverend Camden replied softly. "What's wrong? Why was the phone ringing so long? It rang ten times. Why did it take you so long to answer?"

"Oh Eric, I'm sorry. The answering machine is supposed to kick in after the second ring," apologized Julie with a sigh. "I just put Erica down to bed. We've been getting a lot of calls from telemarketers and other sales people, so now we screen the calls with the answering machine. By the time I realized that it hadn't kicked in, it took me some time to get to the phone. I'm sorry."

"Its okay. Don't worry about it," Eric said quickly. "Listen, Julie, I know you just put Erica down and everything, and I'm sorry to do this, but something important has come up, and I need you, and Hank to bring Erica and come over here, right away. It's an emergency. You need to be here as soon as possible."

"I'll be right there, Eric, but Hank is at hospital. He's on call tonight. However, I'll get Erica and come right over," Julie promised. "Eric, are you okay? You sound strange. Is everything all right? Are you feeling well?"

"Julie, I'm okay, but everything else is not all right. Something has happened and I need to have the whole family together right away. Matt is working a double shift at the hospital tonight so I'm going to call there next and page Hank, and Matt. I need them to come home immediately. Don't worry, I'll explain when everyone is here." Eric said tiredly. "Just come here as soon and safely as possible."

"Eric, I'm on my way," replied Julie firmly. "I'll just get Erica and be there as soon as I can."

"O.K. I'll see you in a little while. Drive safely!"

"Don't worry I will!" answered Julie as she hangs up the phone. "Bye!"

"Bye," Eric's voice trailed off, as he put the phone back on its receiver, and went through his address/phone book to find the number for the hospital. Once he locates the correct number, he picked up the phone and called the hospital.

"Hello, Glenoak Memorial Hospital. Andrea Flannigan speaking. How may I help you, and direct your call?"

"Hello, Andrea. This is Eric Camden," said the Reverend quickly. "I'm calling because I need you to do me a favor, and its extremely urgent. My son, Matt, and my brother-in-law, Dr. Hastings, are both working there at the hospital tonight. Well, something important has come up, and I need to have both of them paged right away. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Reverend Camden," replies Andrea, who used to be counseled by Eric and is also another member of the congregation of his church. "Their full names are Matthew Camden, and Dr. Henry Hastings, correct?

"Right".

"By the way, since you want them both paged at the same time, you'll have to talk to them together on the same line. Is that OK?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I just need to talk to them as soon as possible."

"O.K. If you hold on for a few seconds, I'll have them paged."

While Eric waited for Matt and Hank, Dr. Hastings to pick up, he heard the page in the background.

"Matthew Camden, line 2, Matt Camden please pick up line 2. Dr. Hastings, line 2. Dr. Henry Hastings please pick up line 2."

Within a few seconds, both Matt, and Hank had picked up the phone.

"Hello, Matt? Hank? Are you there? Can you hear me?" asked the Reverend.

"Uh huh, we can hear you," both Matt and Dr. Hastings answered almost in unison. "What is it?"

"Yeah, Dad. Why'd you page us here? What's happening?"

"Eric, what's going on? Are you all right?"

"Matt, Hank, don't worry, I'm fine," said Eric, taking a deep breath before continuing. But before he could speak again, Matt interrupted him.

"Then what is the page for?" Matt demanded, a little annoyed and irritated from working a double shift, and being concerned after being paged by his father. "We're working, and Uncle Hank is also on call. We're both busy, and if everything is fine, why did you page us here?"

"Because everything is not fine. All I said is that I am fine," retorted Reverend Camden. "Listen something has come up, and I need both of you to come to my house immediately. I know you're working, Matt, and Hank, that you are on call, but something has come up, and I need for both of you to come home right away. It's very urgent and important. Just tell your supervisors that there has been a family emergency, and you need to leave right now. Then, come straight to the house. But concentrate on the roads, and drive here as quickly and safely as you can. Get here as soon as possible."

"Dad?" Matt said at the same time as Hank, "Eric? What is it?"

"Listen I don't have time to explain now, and I don't want to say anything over the phone," murmured Eric tiredly. "So just get here as soon as you can, but drive safely."

"O.K. Bye," replied Matt and Hank simultaneously, before they both hang up the phone on each of their ends.

"Bye," Eric said hanging up the phone, and thinking three down, two to go. He was glad the calls to Lucy, Julie, and the hospital were over with, and all he had left was to call the airport, and then call Will back with the flight information. Eric sighed as he opened, and dug around in the bottom drawer of his desk looking for the Yellow Pages. Once he located it, he pulled it out of the drawer with both hands and put it on top of his desk, as it was very big and heavy. Eric quickly flipped through the pages of the directory, until he found the number for the Glenoak Airport. He copied it down, and then after thinking, also copied the numbers for a couple of major commercial airlines, as well. He knew it would probably be very difficult to get seats on them, at such late notice but it couldn't hurt to try. Eric picked up the phone and dialed the toll-free 800 number for one of the two airlines that he thought was worth a shot.

"Hello, Delta Airlines, Jessica Ferrell speaking. May I help you?"

"Yes my name is Eric Camden, and I am calling from Glenoak, California. There has been an family emergency, and I, and my wife, Annie, need to go to Buffalo, New York, tonight." Eric explained. "I know it's last minute, but like I said there's been a family emergency, and we need to be there right away. I'm willing to pay extra, if we could get two seats on a flight leaving tonight. Is that possible?"

"Well, Mr. Camden, I'm sorry but it looks like the next flight is the last one for tonight, and it is a 12:30 am flight to Chicago, where it stops and you'd have to change planes for a connecting flight to Buffalo," said Jessica stopping to take a breath. Before she could continue, Eric interrupted her.

"I guess its better than nothing. I'll take two seats on that flight, and I'll put it on my Visa credit card."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Camden, but you didn't let me finish. I said that the last flight is the 12:30 am flight," Jessica informed him apologetically. "But unfortunately, because it is so close to the Thanksgiving holidays, it is already completely booked. There is not a single seat left on that flight."

"Oh no, is there anything I can do?"

"Well, you could come to the airport in time for the flight, and we can see if any of the scheduled passengers don't show up, or if someone is willing to be bumped to a later flight. You never know. You might get lucky, and get seats," Jessica suggested. "Since it's an emergency, you should also try another airline, so you have a backup. Otherwise, you might not be able to get to Buffalo tonight."

"O.K. Thanks so much for your help."

"You're welcome. Thank you for calling Delta Airlines."

Eric sighed as he puts the phone back on its receiver, and leans back in his chair and thinks for a few minutes. Then he takes a deep breath, picks up the phone, and dials the number to the second airline.

"Good evening, TWA, Adam Gallagher speaking. How may I help you tonight?"

"Hello, I'm Reverend Eric Camden, and I am calling from Glenoak, California. I have a family emergency, and my wife, Annie, and I need to fly to Buffalo, New York, tonight. I know its last minute, and really close to the Thanksgiving holiday, but it's a life and death emergency, and it's extremely urgent that we get to Buffalo as soon as possible. Is there any way that we can get two seats, on any flight leaving tonight? The price isn't important right now. Any seats are fine. We just have to be in Buffalo right away."

"Well, Reverend, the next flight we have is a 1 am flight to Detroit with a stopover in Denver. Then you'd have to change planes at Detroit Metro Airport for a connecting flight to Buffalo, and unfortunately that's the last flight for the night. However, all the seats in the coach and economy sections are booked." Adam told Eric. "But there are plenty of seats available in first class. So if you want to leave tonight on this flight, you'll have to fly first class, which costs an additional $250 per ticket."

"That's fine. Like I said, its an emergency, and the price isn't important right now, so anything is fine, I'll put it on my Visa credit card. I'll take two seats on the 1 am flight " replied Eric, relieved to be able to get any seats on a flight tonight, at such short notice.

"Of course sir. I need information about who is going, so that I can enter it in the computer," said Adam. "So, may I have the names of the people that are going, and that you want on the tickets, boarding pass, and other documents?"

"Sure. As I said before, the tickets are for my wife and me. My name is Eric Camden, my wife's name is Annie, and we want two seats on the 1 am flight."

"O.K." Adam answered. "Now, I also need the dates of birth, and other information, for identification, and security purposes. As you are paying with your Visa card, I need the card number."

"Certainly," Eric gave Adam the relevant information. "Thanks so much for all your help. I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome. It's no problem." Adam responds. "You're all set. You should arrive at the airport at least 15 to 30 minutes before your flight, for check-in, and bring an 2 forms of official ID and at least one of them must be a photo ID such as driver's licenses, or passports, for you and your wife. All passengers must present identification at the gate in order to board the flight."

"Of course. Thanks again."

"You're welcome. Have a safe and good flight," chirped Adam. "Thanks for calling TWA. Have a nice night. Goodbye."

"Bye." Eric's voice trailed off, hearing the dial tone, as Adam has hung up. Then, from memory, Eric dialed the number to the Colonel, and Ruth's house, to call and give Will the flight information, so that he could pick them up from the airport.

After he finished talking to Will, Eric hung up the phone, and decided to go upstairs and see how Annie, Simon, and Ruthie were doing. Just as he was about to go upstairs, the phone rings…

To Be Continued…


	7. Family Meeting

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

******Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

******Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood. George called the paramedics, and after examining her, they found that Mary was in a coma. The paramedics said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities. So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. Will called Eric and Annie, and told them about Mary, and they decided to go to Buffalo on the next available flight. At the end of last chapter, Annie was packing the suitcases, while Eric was making calls to arrange to get tickets for the flight to Buffalo, and also to gather his family together so he could let them know what happened.

******Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

Reverend Eric Camden just hung up the phone, after calling Will back to give him the flight information, and was about to go upstairs to check on Annie, Simon, and Ruthie, when suddenly the phone rang. Eric rushed back across the room to the phone, and snatched it up quickly, thinking it may be a call from Buffalo.

"Hello?" he said breathlessly. "Hello? Mom? Colonel? George? Will? Is that you?" Eric thought that his parents, George, or his father were phoning with news about Mary. But it wasn't. His friend Reverend Morgan Hamilton was the one on the line.

"Eric? It's Morgan Hamilton. Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, Morgan, I'm so sorry," replied Eric apologetically. "It's just that I was hoping for a call from Buffalo."

"Buffalo?" Morgan asked quizzically. "Why? Is everything okay? Has something happened to your parents, George, or Mary? What's wrong? "

"Everything, unfortunately. It's all falling apart," said Eric sadly. "We've just gotten a call from Buffalo, and found out that Mary's tried to commit suicide, and is in a coma. I just can't believe it. I guess I'm still in shock."

"Oh my God! Eric, I'm so very sorry!" Morgan let out a huge gasp. "I know Mary has been having a lot of problems since the basketball team was cancelled, but I didn't expect this. I just never thought that she would be in a coma because she tried to kill herself."

"I know!" admitted Eric, as he launched into a tirade of self-blame. "I can't believe that my daughter who once was a happy, healthy honor student, and champion basketball player could be this miserable, and depressed. Maybe we should have supported her, when the basketball team was being cancelled. Now, I think it might have been a mistake to side with Ms. Russell, Coach Cleary, and the school. I just didn't know at that time, how much it meant to her. If I'd only challenged and opposed the team lockout, and season cancellation, then Mary would have kept playing basketball on the Varsity Girls team, she would have never trashed the gym with her friends, gotten arrested for vandalism, and lost her scholarship. Basketball was Mary's identity, and her life has been totally falling apart since the team went down. She has been completely tearing at the seams for the past year, and we were too busy to notice, because we were too wrapped up in making decisions about what we thought was in her best interests, instead of listening to her, and seeing what she needed. Now, I may never get a chance to make it up to her, or even talk to her. I just can't believe it. Until now, I had no idea, and never realized how important the team, and basketball was to Mary. But the warning signs were there. Since the basketball team was cancelled, she has been on a downward spiral. Trashing the gym was just the start on a path to self-destruction that has ended with her trying to commit suicide, and being in a coma. This is all my fault. I can't believe that I could be so ignorant of Mary's feelings and oblivious to her pain. I wish I'd never have sent her away, and shipped her off to my parents in Buffalo. What the hell was I thinking? I should have known this would happen. It's all my fault."

"Eric, you can't blame yourself. You're not a psychic." Morgan soothed. "There's no way you could have foreseen that this would have happened."

"I know," sighed Eric. "But if I'd just been there for Mary, and backed her up against the school, everything would have been okay now and there would have been no problems. She would have played basketball for the rest of the season, then graduated, and gone to college, on an athletic scholarship. She would be at a good university, doing well, instead of being hospitalized, in a coma after trying to end her life, 3,000 miles away in Buffalo. She may die, and it's all my fault."

"You're not to blame," insisted Morgan firmly. "You did all you could, and you only had Mary's best interests at heart."

"A whole lot of good that does now. I wish I could just change things, and make it up to Mary. If I could just turn back time, I would do everything differently. I would have supported Mary, and never shipped her across the country to my parents in Buffalo. I just can't believe that she may die." Eric murmured sadly, starting to cry. "What will I do without her?"

"Eric, I am so sorry. Is there anything Patricia or I can do? If you need anything, and I mean ANYTHING, please don't hesitate to give us a call and let us know." Morgan declared. "Anything you need. Just ask. We're always here for you."

"Thanks so much," says Reverend Camden gratefully. "Actually, I do need help with something, but I don't want to burden or bother you all."

"Don't even worry about that. We're friends, and friends are there for each other through thick and thin, the good times and the bad times. Friends help each other out when they need a hand – just like you all took me, my family in & helped my congregation when my church was burned, remember? So just ask. We'll do anything," Rev. Hamilton declared. "Just name it."

"Are you sure?" asked Eric doubtfully. "It's no problem?"

"Absolutely! That's what friends are for. We want to lend a hand." Morgan promised. "It's no problem whatsoever. Just name it."

"O.K. Well, Annie and I are going to Buffalo tonight, to be with Mary. We're leaving on the 1 am flight. Because she's in a coma, I don't know when we'll be back," explained Eric. "I am going to ask Hank and Julie if they can come and stay over at our house to take care of the kids, and look after them while we're gone. But someone needs to cover my church services while Annie and I are in Buffalo, and I don't have the time right now to try to find a substitute pastor, and I was hoping that, maybe you could try and find someone."

"Of course. Consider it done, and don't worry about the church, the kids or anything. Just concentrate on Mary, and we'll take care of the rest."

"Thank you so much." Eric replied gratefully. "I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. It's no problem," Morgan reassured Eric. "We want to help. Keep us posted on Mary's condition."

"Of course. We'll call and let everyone know how she is doing. Well, I'd better go now if Annie and I want to get to the airport in time to make the 1 am flight." Eric said quickly. "So I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, take care Eric," murmured Morgan. "I hope Mary gets better, and we'll include her and all of you in our prayers."

"Thanks so much. Bye."

"Bye."

Eric hung up the phone and walked out of his study, to go upstairs and check on Annie, Simon, and Ruthie, when he saw Matt, Lucy, Hank, and Julie, who was holding Erica, coming through the front door, as they had all happened to arrive at the Camden house, around the same time. All of a sudden, everyone started hammering Eric with rapid-fire questions like "What's happened?", "Why are we here?", "Why did you call us?", and "What's going on?"

"Whoa, hold on, everyone." Reverend Camden exclaimed. "Annie and I need to tell all of you something, but she's upstairs, so why don't you go sit in the living room and wait a second until Annie, Simon, and Ruthie are here."

Eric walked across the foyer, to the bottom (foot) of the staircase. "Ruthie! Annie! Simon! Come downstairs please!"

Within seconds, the sounds of thundering feet can be heard as Ruthie loudly bounds down the stairs, unaware of the situation with Mary.

"What is it, Daddy?" Ruthie asked. "What's going on?"

"Sweetie, Mommy and I need to tell you all something, but we want everyone there, so why don't you go wait in the living room. Matt, and Lucy are there with Uncle Hank, Aunt Julie, and Erica, Go sit in the living room with them until Mommy and Simon come down, O.K.?"

"O.K." Ruthie skipped into the living room, as Eric shouted upstairs. "Annie! Simon ! They're here! Come downstairs!"

A few minutes later, Annie, who was carrying Sam, and Simon, who was holding David, slowly trudged down the stairs, and silently walked past Eric as he followed them into the living room. As soon as everyone was seated, and the others saw Annie's, Simon's, and Eric's eyes, which were red and puffy from crying, they immediately started asking them questions about what happened at the same time. The room was suddenly filled with the sounds of five people all talking at once.

"Whoa, everybody! Quiet Down!" Eric exclaimed, trying to silence the rest of his family. "Quiet down, and listen up!"

"What's going on?" asked everyone in the room, except of course, Annie, Simon, and Reverend Camden. "Why are we here?"

Eric draped one arm on Annie's shoulder, and with the other, held Annie's hand. "Because, your mother and I," he began, then corrected himself. "I mean, Annie and I have something to say to you all. It's very important, and very hard, so we wanted everyone in the family together when we told you."

"Eric, what is it?" Julie asked worriedly. "What's going on? Are you sick? Is Annie sick? What's wrong?"

"This is really hard to say, but a little while ago we got a call from Buffalo, from Will, George's father. He said…..

Eric took a deep breath, trying to gather up the courage to continue, when Lucy interrupted him.

"He said what?" Lucy prompted. "Has something happened to the Colonel, Grandma Ruth, Mary, or George? What did Will say?"

Eric took another deep breath before continuing. "It's really hard to say this, but he said that Mary's tried to kill herself, and that she has been rushed to the hospital in a coma. She's at Buffalo General Hospital right now, with the Colonel and Mom, but Will said that it's so bad that once Mary's condition has stabilized, she may be transferred to another hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities."

Gasps of shock and disbelief echoed through the room, as everyone tried to comprehend the stunning news about Mary. Silently, Ruthie got up from the sofa couch and walked over to the easy chair where her father, was sitting, and crawled into his lap. Eric put his arms around his youngest daughter, and tightly held her close.

"Daddy, is Mary going to die?" Ruthie asked, with total childish innocence.

"I hope not, sweetheart, but I honestly don't know," replied Eric sadly. "She may die, but we all have to have hope and faith, and we just have to pray that she doesn't. But Will says she's in a coma, and that it doesn't look good at all."

As soon as he said that, everyone started crying. First, Lucy and Ruthie, then Annie and Julie, and after that Eric, Simon and Matt, and finally last, but not least, Hank. Then, with the resulting noise, the twins, Sam and David, and Erica (Julie and Hank's daughter) started to cry as well, although they're probably not crying about Mary, because they're too young to know or understand what was going on. After a few seconds, Eric brushed the tears away, by wiping them off with the back of his hand. Everyone else followed suit, and soon the room was filled with the sound of hiccups, and sniffling as the rest of the family tried to stop crying quickly. Reverend Camden sighed, and cleared his throat.

"Annie and I are going to Buffalo tonight, to be with Mary. We're leaving on the 1 am flight, and we're not exactly sure when we're going to be back." He took a deep breath, and turned to his sister and brother-in-law, before continuing. "Hank, Julie, I know it's a lot, but we have a favor to ask. We need someone to take care of, and look after the kids while we're gone. Since school is still in session – at least for another week or so, until the Thanksgiving holiday vacation, and you guys live outside the Glenoak school district, I was hoping that if it's no problem, you both could bring Erica and stay here at the house with the kids, while we're gone. That way the kids can go to school and their other activities with as little disruption as possible. I'm sure that the kids, especially Matt, Lucy and Simon, will do anything and everything to lend a hand, and help out however and whenever they can.

"Of course," Hank and Julie replied in unison. "Whatever you need, we'll do."

"Thank you so much," Eric said gratefully. "I can't tell you how much Annie and I appreciate all of your support and help, and I don't know how we can repay you for all you have done."

"Don't even mention it. It's no problem, so don't worry about it." Julie told her brother. "It's the least we can do after all the support you gave me during my struggle with alcoholism, and everything all of you did, and have done to help me get and stay clean and sober."

"There's just one more thing," Eric requested. "But it is only for those of you who can drive. That means Hank, Julie, Matt, and Lucy."

"What is it?" they all responded simultaneously.

"Annie and I need someone to drive us to the airport tonight, and pick us up when we come back. That way you all can use all three of our cars, and we don't waste money and the car in long-term parking."

"I'm on call, so I have to go back to the hospital," Hank informed everyone. "But I'll drop you both off at the airport on my way."

"Thanks so much" Eric murmured. "I really appreciate it."

"I have to go back to our house and pack some stuff for us and Erica while we are staying here," commented Julie.

"If you want I'll stay with everyone until Aunt Julie gets back." Matt volunteered. "I'm scheduled for a double shift tonight at the hospital, but I can call and say that something has come up, and I won't be able to come back tonight."

"No, don't do that, Matt," his father ordered sharply. "Your job is your responsibility, and you need to always be there when you are scheduled to work unless you have a good reason. A good reason like you have a temperature of 103 degrees, not because you need to baby-sit your brothers and sisters, especially not when there are others available. When we leave, go back to work."

Eric turned to Lucy, his middle daughter. "Luce, can you hold down the fort, with Simon to help, until Aunt Julie gets back?"

"Of course, Dad," said Lucy tearfully.

"Good, thanks so much, Luce. You are a godsend." Reverend Camden leaned forward, kissed the top of Lucy's head, and then turned back to his brother-in-law, Hank. "Our flight is at 1, and we have to be there 15 – 30 minutes in advance for check-in. It's almost 11, and depending on the traffic, it takes from 20 - 45 minutes to get to the airport. So to be on the safe side, maybe we should get going now."

"The suitcases are upstairs in our room…" Annie began, starting to say that she has to get the suitcases from upstairs but before she can finish her sentence, Matt interrupted her and offered to help with the luggage. Before Annie could even answer him, Matt rushed out of the room, through the foyer and up the stairs, towards his parents room.

Within a few seconds, he was back. He left the luggage in the foyer by the front door and went back into the living room. As soon as Matt entered the room, everyone stood up, and started hugging each other. Both Eric and Annie took their time hugging each person there, and then everybody follows them as they silently left the living room…

To be Continued…


	8. Going to the Airport

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, for any "lactivist" friends (like from Facebook) who may be reading my stories, when I first started writing this fanfic (even this chapter!) though I supported breastfeeding 100%, at that time, I was not as educated as I am now, about certain things. like especially the benefits of "extended breastfeeding", "child-led weaning", and the risks/harm of commercial made (especially non-organic) baby formulas & disposable diapers.

It has only been in the last couple/few years that I've started learning about "Attachment Parenting" and other subjects. But as this **FICTIONAL** story was written **BEFORE **that time - when I was still ignorant about the risks of certain profit-driven things that mainstream society blindly accepts as safe (such as baby formulas, vaccinations, fluoride, and disposable diapers), please try to ignore and excuse the references to formula, disposable diapers or any other issues that I now myself disagree with. Thank you!

Another thing, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): ** Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood. George called the paramedics, and after examining her, they found that Mary was in a coma. The paramedics said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities.

So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. Will called Eric and Annie, and told them about Mary, and they decided to go to Buffalo on the next available flight.

Eric and Annie had a family meeting, where they told Ruthie, Simon, Lucy, Matt, Julie, and Hank about what had happened with Mary, and that they were going to Buffalo. Eric asked Hank and Julie if they could stay at his house and take care of the kids while he and Annie were gone. Hank and Julie agreed and at the end of last chapter, Eric and Annie were getting ready to leave for the airport for their flight to Buffalo.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

Eric and Annie Camden stood in their foyer with Matt, Lucy, Simon, Ruthie, Sam and David, Julie, and Hank, Eric's sister, and brother-in-law, and Erica, Julie and Hank's infant daughter, and they were giving last-minute instructions to everyone before they left for Buffalo.

"Luce, I fed Sam and David a few hours ago, so they are going to be ready for their next feeding anytime now." Annie directed her daughter. "There are a couple of bottles ready in the fridge, and some jars of baby food in the cupboard. Also if you need it, there are a few unopened cans of baby formula in the pantry. Please feed the twins before Aunt Julie gets back. Oh, and also change their diapers before you go to bed. There's a new box of diapers in the laundry room. Be good. Do all your homework, study hard, and don't give Aunt Julie or Uncle Hank any trouble."

"Of course, Mom," agreed Lucy. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Take care of yourselves and Mary. Call us often and let us know how she's doing."

"Definitely." Eric replied. Then he turned to his sister. "Julie, Hank, Lucy, I just want to tell you all that Simon is grounded for two months, because of some things that happened when he went out on a double date. He is restricted to the house and has no phone, dessert, or TV, and he can only go to school, church, and Sunday school."

"Okay. Thanks for telling us. We'll make sure that the punishment is still enforced while you are gone," said Julie, as Simon frowned in disappointment, probably hoping that after his parents are gone, he could convince, and talk his aunt and uncle into relaxing or even eliminating his grounding and restrictions altogether. But after Julie said that, he knew that there was no hope.

"Good, thanks!" Reverend Camden turned to Simon and Ruthie. "Until Aunt Julie gets back, Lucy is in charge. Listen to her and do what she tells you. After that, Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank are in charge. Please behave yourselves, and remember to help them out whenever, and wherever you can."

"Sure thing" responded Simon and Ruthie in unison.

"Eric, Annie, we'd better get going," Hank suggested. "I'm dropping you off at the airport, on my way back to the hospital."

"Of course," answered Eric and Annie simultaneously. They both hugged and kissed each of their kids, with of course, the exception of Mary, and then Annie opened the front door, as Eric picked up their suitcases, and Dr. Hastings (Hank) went out to the car.

"Everybody be good! Bye!" Reverend and Mrs. Camden shouted as they walked outside to Hank's car. Annie got in the back seat, while Eric put the suitcases in the trunk, and then got in the front passenger seat. Everyone stood at the front door waving good-bye, as Hank started up the car and drove away. After the car was no longer in sight. Lucy shut the front door, and turned to Julie.

"Aunt Julie, if you want, you can leave Erica here when you go home to get some stuff. I'll look after her while you're gone. That way you can concentrate on packing and stuff you have to do, and not have to think about Erica and keeping an eye on her."

"Thanks Luce. That's very sweet of you." Julie nodded. "I think I'll do that. There are some things I have to do, before I come to stay over here, and it'll be much easier if I don't have an infant underfoot to worry about."

"Great, then leave her here, and I'll take care of her." Lucy replied, and Julie agreed.

Then all of a sudden, Julie started to look hesitant. "Wait, are you sure? I am not saying that you're not responsible, because I know you are, but are you sure you can handle it? Taking care of everyone?"

"Of course I can, Aunt Julie. Besides, Simon and Ruthie will help. Anyway, I have been babysitting for years, for everyone including my brothers and sisters. We'll be fine. You do whatever you have to do, and then come back. Everything will be okay."

Julie turned to her eldest nephew. "Matt, you should go back to the hospital. Your parents don't want you to miss work, and everything is in control here, so you should go back now."

Matt nodded, hugged Aunt Julie, and his brothers and sisters good-bye, and left. After he was gone, Julie picked up Erica who had been crawling around on the floor, and handed her to Lucy.

"O.K. I'm going to go now. I'll be back as soon as I can. Does anyone need anything before I go? Erica's diaper bag is in the living room by the sofa. There's a bottle of Erica's formula, in one of the smaller pockets, if she gets hungry, and there are some diapers, and baby wipes in the big main pocket, if you need it. Oh and put Erica down too, when you put the twins to bed. You have my number at home right?"

Lucy nodded as Julie takes a pen and piece of paper out of her purse and quickly writes down a few numbers. "Luce, here are the phone numbers to Erica's pediatrician, and Hank's cell phone, and pager/beeper, in case of an emergency. Well I guess that's about it, so I'll get going. I'll be back as soon as I can. Lock up after I go. Oh, I almost forgot. Do you have a spare set of house keys that I can use while your parents are gone?"

"Yes, of course. We have a few sets of spare keys. A couple of them are with the neighbors, but Mom and Dad keep extra sets in the kitchen and in the garage. I'll go get one for you." Simon answered. Then he turned around and went into the kitchen. A minute later, he came back with the keys, and handed them to Aunt Julie, who took them and put them in her purse.

"Thanks, that way I don't have to wake you up to let me in, if you are asleep by the time I get back," explained Julie. "Well I'd better go now. Lucy is in charge."

Julie kissed Erica on her forehead, and then kissed her nieces and nephews on the tops of their heads. "Be good all of you. Simon, remember what your parents said about your being grounded. No TV, phone or dessert. Finish your homework and then brush your teeth and go to sleep. Lucy, while I'm gone, please make sure that Simon stays away from the TV, any sweets, and off the phone. I'll be back as soon as I can. Lock up behind me," she says as she leaves.

Meanwhile, the ride to the airport was silent for Eric and Annie, who were both occupied with their own thoughts, and feelings of grief, worry, and guilt. When they reached the airport, Hank stopped the car by the curb at the terminal. Hank left the car on, but put it in park, and got out. He opened the trunk and helped Eric get their suitcases while Annie went to get an empty luggage cart from the cart stand.

"Call when you reach Buffalo, to let us know you arrived safely," requested Hank. "Also, phone and let us know how Mary is doing, and keep us updated about her condition."

"Of course." Eric replied. "Thanks so much for all your help, love, and support. We really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. It's no problem. It's the least we can do after all you and Annie have done for us," said Hank. "Don't worry about the kids. Julie and I will take good care of them. Just concentrate on Mary and making sure she's all right. Don't worry about anything else. We'll take care of it. Have a safe trip, and call when you reach."

"Of course," answered Eric and Annie, who had just come back with an empty luggage cart. In the car, Hank had said that he would stay with them while they checked in, and would wait with them at their gate, until their flight was called. But Eric said that it was not necessary, that they would be fine, and since Hank was on call, he should just drop them off and go back to the hospital right away. So they loaded the suitcases onto the cart, then Eric and Annie both hugged Hank good-bye, and started to walk into the terminal as Hank got back into his car, moved it out of parking gear, and drove away.

Annie walked beside Eric as he pushed the cart into the terminal, towards the TWA counter. The clerk at the desk asked Reverend Camden to put their suitcases on the scale, so they could be weighed before check-in. Because of his heart condition, Annie helped Eric lift the luggage onto the scales. While they were being weighed, Annie pulled a pen out of her purse, took some of the free luggage tags that the airline offered, and started filling them out & attaching them to their suitcases.

Then Eric realized that the clerk hadn't checked their identification, so they hadn't yet been given their tickets, boarding passes, and other documents, and he noticed that the clerk at the counter was busy talking on the phone on what obviously appeared to be a personal call. So Eric cleared his throat fairly loudly, and moved up close to the counter.

"Um, excuse me. I'm Reverend Eric Camden, and this is my wife, Annie. I called the airline earlier tonight and booked two seats for the 1 am flight to Buffalo, New York, with a stopover in Denver, and change of planes at Detroit," explained Eric. "We need to show our identification, to pick up our tickets and boarding passes."

The clerk cupped his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Yes, of course," he said. He quickly ended his call, hung up the phone and asked to see Eric's and Annie's ID's. Eric, and Annie showed him their driver's licenses and passports. Then the clerk printed out their tickets and boarding passes and handed them to Eric, as he weighed and tagged the luggage. Afterwards the counter clerk lifted them off the scale, and put them on a moving conveyor belt, to be inspected, and transferred onto the flight.

"You're all set. The flight will board at Gate N13. It's way down the terminal, near the end of the concourse." The clerk said. "But you got time. You still have about 45 minutes before they begin boarding."

"Thanks," replied Eric and Annie. They started to walk to the gate, passing through the numerous metal detectors and other security devices recently installed at the small airport in Glenoak.

On the way to the gate, they passed several newsstands, cafés, bars, restaurants, and gift shops. When they reached the gate, Annie wearily collapsed into one of the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs, and Eric set their carry-on hand luggage on the floor next to her.

"Annie, hon, I'm going to get a cup of coffee, and maybe, possibly, a newspaper or magazine from one of the cafés and newsstands that we passed on the way to the gate. Can I get you something?"

Annie nodded gratefully. "Yes. If they have it, an Irish Cream flavored cappuccino with sugar, if they don't, that's all right, and otherwise I'll just have a plain coffee, with cream and sugar. Lots of cream and sugar, I have a feeling we're going to need the sugar."

"Sure," replied Eric. "If I decide to get something from the news-stand, do you want anything?"

At first, Annie shook her head. Then she changed her mind. "How about a Psychology Today, or Parents Magazine," she remarked wryly. "Maybe it will tell us where we went wrong with Mary."

Eric walked back over to Annie and embraced her. "Hon, don't think like that. This is not our fault. We did the best we could. We just never expected this. We didn't know that Mary would react like this. But we had her best interests at heart, and we did the best we could."

Annie looked deeply into his eyes. "Did we really, Eric?" she asked quietly. "Did we really do the best we could? What was in her best interests, or what was in OUR best interests?"

"Why do you say that?" Eric replied sadly. "Why do you want us to blame ourselves?"

"Because I don't know whether sending Mary to Buffalo was really necessary," answered Annie with tears gathering in her eyes. "Maybe she felt like we were abandoning her just because she was having some problems. I don't know whether sending her to your parents in Buffalo was the right solution. I don't know why we couldn't just keep her in Glenoak, and get her some professional counseling and therapy. Then we could have arranged for some job training and placement right here. My God, Eric, you help others every day. I don't know why we couldn't just help Mary at home. I don't know whether we sent Mary to Buffalo for her own good, or for our own good."

"Of course it was for her own good. We could not have kept her in Glenoak with Frankie and Johnny around."

Annie gazed at her husband for several moments. "We could have just forbidden Mary to see or associate with them, and still kept her here."

"We tried that, remember?" Eric reminded her. "We forbid Mary to see Frankie and Johnny, and all three of them promised to abide by it, and then they all lied and kept seeing each other."

"Yeah but I wonder if we didn't send her away just to get her out of our hair, and away from the gossipy church ladies," commented Annie. "Because we were afraid of what rumors Mrs. Beeker might spread!"

"You know that's not true." Eric replied. "Sending Mary to Buffalo had nothing to do with anything like Mrs. Beeker or the other gossipy church ladies. We did it for her own good. There was nothing else we could do. We did our best."

"But still, if only there was a way that we could have kept her at home."

"I know, I know." Eric soothed his wife. "At times, I feel the same things too. Are you ok? I'm going to go down and get us some coffee. Do you want anything from the newsstand? A newspaper, or magazine, maybe?"

"Yes," agreed Annie. "Please get me a People magazine. Oh I am kind of hungry too, so if the café has something to go with the coffee, like a pastry, or a muffin, or something, please get that. If they don't, then just get something, anything, from one of the cafés, or restaurants. If they're closed then just get something from one of the vending machines."

Eric nodded and starts to walk back down the concourse towards the cluster of shops and restaurants halfway down the terminal, near the center of the airport. He came back about 10 minutes later carrying two steaming cups, one with plain coffee with cream and sugar, and the other with Irish Cream flavored cappuccino. He was also carrying a bag with two chocolate chip cookies wrapped in plastic, two individual bags of Nacho flavored Doritos, two turkey sandwiches, two red apples, a People Magazine, Reader's Digest, and copies of that day's Glenoak newspaper, and the USA Today paper.

"Eric, this is too much food!" exclaimed Annie, when she saw what Eric had bought. "I just wanted one blueberry muffin, or something. Not an entire meal."

"I know, but I was thinking, we're probably not going to get anything to eat on this flight, other than a bag of peanuts, at least until morning, and I am kind of hungry again. So I thought that since I was anyway going down there, I might as well get enough food to fill both of us up. That way we are not hungry throughout the flight."

"I guess you're right." Annie reluctantly agreed, and the two started eating, sitting in the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs at the gate of the Glenoak airport, waiting to board their flight to Buffalo.

To Be Continued…


	9. Discussions

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): ** Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood. George called an ambulance, and after examining her, the paramedics found that Mary was in a coma. They said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities.

So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. Will called Eric and Annie, and told them about Mary, and they decided to go to Buffalo on the next available flight. Eric and Annie had a family meeting, where they told Ruthie, Simon, Lucy, Matt, Julie, and Hank about what had happened to Mary, and that they were going to Buffalo. Eric asked Hank and Julie if they could stay at his house and take care of the kids while he and Annie were gone, and they agreed. Eric said they needed to be dropped off at the airport, and Hank said that since he was still on call, he had to go back to the hospital, and would drop them off at the airport on his way.

After Eric and Annie left with Hank, Matt went back to work, and Julie went home to pack some stuff for herself, her husband and Erica, leaving Lucy, and Simon at home with Ruthie, Erica and the twins. At the end of last chapter, Eric and Annie were eating, sitting in the hard, uncomfortable plastic chairs at the gate of the Glenoak airport, waiting to board their flight to Buffalo.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

In Buffalo, Mary's condition continued to deteriorate, and she had slipped into an even deeper coma, in the ambulance, during the ride to the hospital. When they arrived at Buffalo General Hospital, while the doctors and nurses immediately continued the frantic and valiant efforts to try and save Mary's life, in Glenoak, Eric and Annie were waiting at the airport to board their flight. Meanwhile, at the Colonel and Ruth's home, after Will had finished talking to Eric and getting the flight information, he and George went straight to the hospital, to be with Mary, and her grandparents.

Back at the Camden house in Glenoak, Lucy was in her twin brother's room, trying to get three crying babies to sleep at once. She was carrying Erica, her infant cousin, in a Snugli backpack baby carrier, and was holding Sam and David, her twin brothers in each arm. Lucy was beautifully, and melodiously singing lullabies, as she rocked the babies to sleep.

___Hush little baby don't you cry_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a chocolate pie_

___Hush little baby, don't say a word_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a mockingbird_

___If that mockingbird don't sing_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a diamond ring_

___If that diamond ring turns brass_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a looking glass_

___If that looking glass gets broke_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a billy goat_

___If that billy goat don't pull_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a cart and bull_

___If that cart and bull turn over_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a dog named Rover_

___If that dog named Rover don't bark_

___Lucy's gonna buy you a horse and cart_

___If that horse and cart fall down_

___You'll be the sweetest baby in town!_

* * *

___Hush a bye my baby, somewhere there may be_

___A land that's free for you, and me, and the Russian lullaby_

___Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm_

* * *

___Hush a bye, hush a bye baby_

___Under the, under the silvery moon_

___All the stars will watch above you_

___Cause they know how much, I love you_

___Hush a bye, hush a bye baby_

___Kiss your family dear, good night_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruthie, and Simon, who were in their rooms, doing homework, heard Lucy singing, and they stopped and came into Sam and David's room, to talk to their elder sister.

"Lucy, what's going to happen?" asked Simon and Ruthie. "Do you think Mary is going to die?"

"I don't know " Lucy said sadly. "I guess we just have to hope and pray that she doesn't."

"I wish I hadn't gotten mad at Mary before she left for Buffalo," replies Ruthie sorrowfully. "I shouldn't have been so immature, and petty, and complained about her not having pizza with me, and told her that she was selfish, and thought that she was the 'center of the Camden universe'. She probably thought we all hate her. Maybe that's why she's tried to kill herself. She thought that she was all alone and everyone hated her, and that's why she did this."

"That's no excuse," said Lucy as she cleared her throat and continued. "I think that it's still a very selfish thing to do. Last year, after his dad, committed suicide, Mike Pierce tried to kill himself too, and he was in the hospital for a long time. Mike says his mom has been so devastated by both her husband's death and his suicide attempt and hospitalization, that she has virtually stopped speaking and just sits in front of the TV all day long, staring blankly at the screen. She is in so much grief over all that has happened, that she can't even talk. Suicide only leaves pain, guilt, and grief for all the survivors. It is a very selfish thing to do."

"But maybe being sent away drove her too it." Ruthie interrupted insistently. "She already has been so bad since she stopped playing basketball. Maybe being sent to live with the Colonel and Grandma Ruth made her just think that we all hated her and she was better off dead."

"Yeah," agreed Simon. "Mary has been in a lot of trouble and has had a lot of problems since the team cancellation and arrest for vandalizing the gym. She has been really down since this all happened, and maybe all the bad things she's been doing lately, is because she is depressed, and wanted help. Maybe she should have gone to see a counselor/therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist, instead of going to Buffalo."

"You're probably right," commented Lucy. "But Mom and Dad probably just thought they were doing what was right and in Mary's best interests, under the circumstances, and with what they knew at the time."

"Yeah, I know." Ruthie murmured quietly as Simon nodded. "We were just thinking out loud."

"Hey listen. It's getting pretty late. Have you two finished your homework?" Lucy asked authoritatively.

"No," answered Simon and Ruthie, shaking their heads. Just then, off in the distance, the phone rang, waking up the sleeping babies, who started wailing loudly. As Lucy put down the crying infants, David into his crib, and Sam and Erica into the other, the phone rang a second time, and Simon started to make a move towards it, to answer.

"Simon! No phone!" Lucy warned, admonishing her brother. "All right, you two. Go back to your rooms and finish your homework. Then start getting ready for bed. I'll come in a little later to check on you."

As Simon and Ruthie trudged back to their rooms, the phone continued to ring loudly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Lucy muttered, as the phone rang insistently. "Hold your darn horses! I'm coming!"

She looked around, quickly located the cordless phone, and snatched it up.

"Hello, Camden residence." Lucy said angrily, almost snarling into the phone.

"Uh, Lucy? Is that you?" the caller asked, startled at Lucy's angry tone of voice. "It's Mike Pierce. Are you OK? What's wrong?"

"Oh, Mike, I'm sorry!" Lucy exclaimed breathlessly, apologetic. "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that it took me forever get the babies to stop crying, and put them to bed. They've finally quieted down, and just fell asleep, and then the phone rang, and woke them up. I just put them down, and now they're are all up and crying again. So I'm just kind of annoyed. I'm sorry I growled at you."

"Don't worry about it," replied Mike kindly. "It's okay. I understand, and I'm sorry for waking the babies. I forgot about your brothers."

"It's all right. So, what's going on?" Lucy asked. "I got to go soon, so I can get the babies back to bed. So what's up?"

"Well, I just wanted to call and see if you were okay." Mike explained. "When you left the library, you said you had a family emergency, but you didn't know what it was and that you had to go home right away. I'm just calling to check and make sure everything is all right. Is it?"

"Not really," answered Lucy. "My sister, Mary, is in the hospital in Buffalo, and my parents just left for New York to be with her. My Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank are staying with us at our house, until they get back."

"If you think it's none of my business, and you don't want to tell me, I'll understand. But why is your sister in the hospital?" Mike asked. "What happened? That is, if you don't mind my asking."

"No, I don't mind your asking. I just don't have all the details yet, though. My parents said that Mary tried to commit suicide, and my grandparents and my Uncle George found her in the bathroom unconscious, and called the paramedics. They rushed her to the hospital in the ambulance, and she is in a coma. That's all I know right now. We don't know what her prognosis is, or anything. Or if she will even make it."

"Oh my God!" Mike sighed sympathetically. "I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do? I mean, I know what you all are going through. I've been there, you know. So if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you, whenever you want, if you need me."

"Thanks!" replied Lucy. "I might just take you up on that."

"Feel free." Mike said gently. "Whenever you want to talk or anything, I'm here."

"Okay, thanks. Well listen, I better go now. I'm baby-sitting Sam, David, Ruthie, my baby cousin, Erica, and Simon, kind of too," explained Lucy. "My Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank are staying with us while my parents are in Buffalo, but my uncle is on call at the hospital tonight, and my aunt is at her house packing, and running some errands. So I have to keep an eye on things until she gets back. The babies are crying so I have to go now and get them settled back down to sleep. Then I have to go check on Simon and Ruthie."

"Okay I'll let you go then. But remember I've been there, so if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks!" said Lucy. "I'll remember that."

After she hung up the phone with Mike, Lucy plodded back towards the sound of the shrill, incessant, plaintive and loud infant wails, in Sam and David's bedroom. Meanwhile, at the Glenoak airport, Eric and Annie's flight began boarding.

In Buffalo, the doctors and nurses had finally managed to stabilize Mary's condition, after she had, had to be resuscitated, from going into cardiac arrest a few times. Now, Mary was in the Intensive Care Unit (I.C.U.) in a deep coma…

To Be Continued…..


	10. Arrival

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated being there, and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood (from hitting her head on the hard, tile floor when she fell). George called an ambulance, and after examining her, the paramedics found that Mary was in a coma. They said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities.

So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. Will called Eric and Annie, and told them about Mary, and they decided to go to Buffalo on the next available flight. Eric and Annie had a family meeting, where they told Ruthie, Simon, Lucy, Matt, Julie, and Hank about what had happened to Mary, and that they were going to Buffalo. Hank and Julie agreed stay at their house and take care of the kids while he and Annie were gone. Hank dropped Eric and Annie off at the airport on his way to the hospital where he was on call, and Matt left to go back to work soon after. Julie went home to pack some stuff for her family, and run some errands, leaving Lucy and Simon at home with Ruthie, Erica, and the twins. While Julie is gone, Lucy, Simon and Ruthie talk about Mary and what has happened. Mike Pierce calls soon after, and talks to Lucy, and at the end of last chapter Lucy has just hung up with Mike, and is checking on the babies, while in Buffalo, Mary's condition still remains grave. She is in the I.C.U. in a deep coma.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

The flight to Buffalo was uneventful, and Eric and Annie were pretty silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Knowing that they would need as much strength, energy, and stamina that they could get, for the hours and days ahead, they both tried to sleep as much as possible during the flight, especially since the opportunity for prolonged sleep would be very limited once they landed. After a brief stopover in Denver, and a change of planes in Detroit, their flight arrived in Buffalo by mid-morning. Will and George were waiting at the gate, as they walked out of the hangar.

"Eric, Annie, over here!" called out Will, with a quick wave of his hand. "Over here!"

Dragging their wheeled carry-on luggage behind them, they headed over to where Will was standing with George.

"Eric, Annie, hi." Will murmured, shaking each of their hands, after which George first threw his arms around his adopted brother, and then his sister-in-law, in huge, emotional hugs. "You've made it. I'm so sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances."

"We do too. How's Mary doing?" asked Rev. Camden anxiously. "Has her condition improved at all?"

"I'm afraid not. She is still in a deep coma. The doctors want to talk to you. They're saying it doesn't look good," explained Will mournfully, taking the handle of one of Eric's carry-on bags from him. "We should get back to the hospital as soon as possible."

Reverend & Mrs. Camden nodded, sighing sadly.

"Do you have any other bags, besides these?"

"Yeah, we've got a couple suitcases checked." Eric answered, searching in his pockets for his baggage claim tickets. "We've got to go get them."

"Okay. The baggage claim is this way," directed Will, as the four of them headed towards the lower level of the concourse, where the baggage claim was located. "So how was your flight?"

"Not too bad." Rev. Camden coughed, and then cleared his throat. "Annie and I tried to sleep as much as we could along the way."

"That's good. So how are your other kids doing?"

"They're fine," replied Eric, with a weak smile. "Matt is doing well in college and he still works at the same hospital as Hank. He's planning on going to medical school, though Lord knows how we'll find the money to pay for it. But hopefully, he'll be able to get a scholarship, or financial aid. Lucy is looking into early acceptance for college, and is busy poring over college brochures with her friend, Mike Pierce. She's also been volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and she really seems to enjoy it. Simon's doing okay, though he's been doing everything he can to get a "cool reputation". Ruthie is really loves her new private school, and is learning a lot."

"That's great!"

"Yeah." Eric murmured softly. "We're grateful that at least they are doing so well."

After they reached the baggage claim, Eric handed his claim tickets to the attendant, and headed over to the rotating carousel with Annie, Will and George. As soon as they got their suitcases, Will ushered them away from the baggage claim, through the airport terminal, and into the parking structure across the street. He led them over to his car, a beige, golden colored _Dodge Grand Caravan _minivan. After Will unlocked the car, he opened the trunk and he and George helped Eric and Annie quickly load their luggage inside. Then Eric got into the front passenger seat, while Annie and George clambered into the middle row seats in the back. As soon as he'd gotten into the driver's seat, slammed the door shut, and fastened his seatbelt, Will turned the ignition on and pulling out of his parking space, drove through the parking structure. At the entrance/exit, he paused at the tollbooth, and pulling the parking stub out of his pocket, he began fumbling in his pockets, and the dashboard container for the correct change. Eric noticed, and immediately reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and without a word, handed Will the money. Despite his protests and objections, Eric refused to take it back, so with a nod and smile of appreciation, Will handed the parking stub, and payment to the impatient garage attendant, and drove out of the parking structure and away from the airport.

During the ride to the hospital, Eric, Annie, Will and George engaged in 'small talk', but their conversations were interspersed with periods of long silences, as Eric and Annie continued to be wrapped up in their own thoughts, and focused on their enormous feelings of shock, disbelief, sadness, guilt, and worry about Mary. As they neared the hospital, Will told them that he would drop them at the hospital entrance, so that they could go in right away, while he and George found a parking spot.

Even before the car screeched to a complete stop, Eric and Annie jumped out of the car, and ran through the front doors of the hospital, and into the lobby. "Intensive Care!" Eric called out to the receptionist sitting at the Information Desk, wearing a badge with the name 'Stephanie'. "Where is it?"

"4th Floor," answered Stephanie, as Eric and Annie started to dash off. "Wait! Hold on a moment!"

"Why?"

"You'll need a visitor's pass," Stephanie explained, pulling a sheet of sticker labels out of a drawer. "Also, only immediate family of the patient are allowed in the I.C.U.& no more than 2 visitors are allowed in the Unit at one time. May I ask who you are visiting?"

"Our daughter, Mary Camden was brought into the E.R. last night and now she is in the Intensive Care Unit," replied Eric, as Stephanie scanned a list on a clipboard, going down the names with her finger.

"Okay. Here it is. Mary Camden. Okay, you're clear. I just need to see an ID for security, and then you're all set."

Eric hurriedly pulled out his wallet and handed Stephanie his driver's license. She quickly looked it over, nodding as she filled out the visitor's passes and handed them to Eric and Annie. "Intensive Care is on the 4th floor. You can take the elevators over there," she says, pointing to an elevator about 20 feet away. "I hope your daughter gets better!"

"Thanks" replied Rev. Camden and Annie in unison as they sprinted over to the elevators, and pushed the "Up" button. When it arrived, they ran in, and quickly pressed the button for the 4th floor.

As soon as they stepped off the elevator…

"ERIC, ANNIE!" Ruth exclaimed hysterically, her eyes filled with tears as she ran up to them, and threw her arms around them, enveloping both of them together in a big hug. "Thank God you're here!"

The Colonel came up from behind his wife, and first embraced his son, then Annie, as she kissed him on the cheek. "Dad, how is she?"

"We don't know! They won't tell us anything!" cried Ruth, as the Colonel shakes his head gruffly. "I even tried using my Marine status, and my military contacts to get some information, but they still wouldn't give us any. They just said that the doctors want to talk to you!"

Eric and Annie nodded sadly, as they headed over to the nurses station. A petite blonde named Alexis turned to them as they walked up to the desk. "Can I help you?"

"Yes." Rev. Camden replied impatiently. "Our daughter, Mary Camden was brought in last night, and she's in the ICU now. We just arrived from California, and were told that the doctors needed to speak with us."

"Oh yes, Mary Camden! Dr. Kingman, and Dr. Zhang are the primary physicians on her case. I'll page them right now."

"Thanks!" murmured Eric as Alexis's page went out over the P.A. system.

"Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang to the ICU! Dr. Laura Kingman, and Dr. Jason Zhang, to the ICU, STAT!"

Several minutes later, a tall woman with wavy auburn hair, who was accompanied by a taller Asian man with shiny black hair cropped into a buzz cut, strode down the hall towards them, after a quick pause at the nurse's desk.

"Mr. & Mrs. Camden?"

Eric and Annie nodded.

"I'm Dr. Laura Kingman, your daughter's physician." Dr. Kingman said, extending her hand. "This is Dr. Jason Zhang."

Eric and Annie shook the doctor's hands, before giving into impatience, and anxiety

"How is she, Doctor?" asked Eric and Annie worriedly. "How's Mary doing?"

Dr. Kingman, and Dr. Zhang looked at each other. "Let's talk in here…"

To Be Continued…...


	11. Tragic News

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. She hated her life and decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed, and passed out. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George, and Will Gracen, George's biological father, found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood (from hitting her head on the hard, tile floor when she fell). George called an ambulance, and after examining her, the paramedics found that Mary was in a coma. They said that Mary was in such bad condition that she should be rushed to Buffalo General Hospital, and later on, after she was stabilized, that the doctors could decide to transfer her to a hospital with better facilities and more advanced capabilities.

So Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital in an ambulance and the Colonel and Grandma Ruth rode with her, while George and Will stayed back at their house, in order to call Mary's parents in Glenoak, 3,000 miles away. After hearing about Mary, Eric and Annie immediately decided to take the next available flight to Buffalo, and Hank & Julie agreed to stay with the kids at their house. Eric and Annie flew to Buffalo, Will and George picked them up at the airport, and drove them straight to the hospital. At the end of the last chapter, the doctors are just about to talk to them about Mary.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com.

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

Dr. Kingman led them to an empty meeting room with a huge conference table and chairs. "Have a seat."

"Is it okay if my parents join us? Mary has been staying with them."

The doctors nodded, as Eric motioned for the Colonel and Ruth to join them in the room. Once they were all seated, Dr. Kingman cleared her throat before speaking.

"Mr. & Mrs. Camden, I have been in charge of Mary's case since she was brought into the ER last night." Dr. Kingman paused for a moment, opening up a file folder on the table. "Mary was brought into this hospital in a deep coma, due to an overdose of several prescription and over the counter drugs. She also had a couple of severe lacerations from hitting her head on the tile floor when she collapsed. We were able to suture the cuts successfully. However, because of all the drugs she ingested and had already been absorbed into her bloodstream by the time she was brought in, Mary was in full cardiac arrest."

"Oh my God!" gasped Annie, turning to Eric in alarm, with tears gushing from her eyes.

"We were able to resuscitate her, but because her brain was deprived of oxygen for such a significant period of time, she developed a condition known as ___hypoxia_."

Annie gripped Eric's arm tightly, her nails digging deep into his skin. Wincing softly, Eric loosened her fingers from around his arm, and gently took her hand into his. "What does that mean?" he asked, his voice rising,

"I'm afraid it doesn't look good." Dr. Zhang answered solemnly. "Mary is in a deep coma, and she appears to have suffered massive brain damage from the ___hypoxia__._"

"Speak in English, ma'am!" barked the Colonel. "Is my grand-daughter going to recover, or not?"

Eyes downcast, Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang shook their heads grimly. "We're very sorry to have to tell you this, but if even if Mary does regain consciousness, which in and of itself is extremely unlikely, she may never be able to walk, or talk, or take care of herself, in any meaningful way." Dr. Kingman paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm afraid that's assuming that she even wakes up at all."

"But will she wake up?" demanded Ruth insistently. "What are her chances?"

Dr. Zhang and Dr. Kingman exchanged a 'Look'.

"Usually, we always try to tell a patient's family to have hope, that there's always some chance, even if it's a slim one, for recovery," explained Dr. Zhang somberly. "But in Mary's case, due to the ___hypoxia_, her condition is extremely critical. There is very minimal brain function, and her chance of recovery, or even regaining consciousness is very slim. Right now, she is in the Intensive Care Unit on a ventilator that is assisting in her breathing and respiration, and within the next 12 – 24 hours, we will be running several tests to determine the amount of brain activity, which should give us a better idea of where we stand."

"Can we see her?" Annie asked tearfully. "Can we stay with her?"

Dr. Kingman nods. "Yes, but no more than 2 people at a time, and only for 10 minutes each," she instructs sternly. "Also, you will need to scrub & wear a mask, gown, and gloves before entering the I.C.U."

Eric, Annie, Ruth and the Colonel nodded in agreement, as everyone stood up and left the room.

"I'm so sorry about your daughter." Dr. Zhang murmured gently. "Dr. Kingman and I will be closely monitoring Mary's condition, and if you have any questions, you can have one of the nurses page us, and we'll be there right away."

"Thanks."

Drs. Kingman and Zhang nodded as the petite blonde woman from the nursing station walks up to them.

"Ah, Alexis!" began Dr. Kingman. "This is Mary Camden's family, and they want to see her. Could you get them scrubbed in and set up with masks, gowns and gloves, please?"

Alexis nodded. "Sure thing, Dr. Kingman. Follow me," she says as she led them down the hall to the Scrub Room, and through a set of double push-doors. A few moments later, Eric, Annie, Ruth and the Colonel emerged with Alexis, suitably gowned, masked and gloved.

"Eric, Annie, you go in first." Colonel Camden directed his son and daughter-in-law. "Ruth and I will see her afterwards. You go on in now."

With a slight, imperceptible nod of appreciation, Rev. Camden and his wife headed into the Intensive Care Unit. Walking down the center of the room, past the row of beds on either side, each separated by a curtain, when they came upon their daughter's bed, they stopped short, with a loud collective gasp. Mary was lying on the hospital bed on her back. She was wearing a thin hospital gown, and underneath it, the multitude of wires going into the various monitor pads stuck all over her chest, were clearly visible. Oxygen tubes were inserted in both of Mary's nostrils, and there were dark black stains all around her mouth from the charcoal used to pump her stomach.

There were tubes and noisy, beeping machines everywhere. One machine monitored Mary's heart rate, while another moved up and down, pumping every breath. Next to Mary's bed was a large IV stand, with a few clear plastic bags hanging from it – one with a dark, red liquid, and the other couple with clear liquids, that flowed into a tube running into her left forearm. A large patch of Mary's soft and silky brown hair had been shaved from the back and side of her head, and replaced by neat rows of dark black stitches, like a spider crawling across her skin. Mary's face was puffy, and her fingers and toes were swollen with fluid, resembling plump little sausages. Eric and Annie turned to the nurse nearby, looking at her questioningly.

"It's called edema," explained Alexis from behind her mask. "It's a severe swelling to the extremities. It can be caused by certain medications, or a patient's condition."

Her eyes filled with tears, Annie turned her head away. "Oh, Eric!" she cried, burying her face in her husband's shoulder. Holding her tight in his arms, Rev. Camden gazed upwards, trying to rid himself of the tears pooling in his eyes.

"I'll let you two be alone with your daughter now." Alexis said, before heading towards the nurse's station. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Rev. and Mrs. Camden nodded appreciatively, before walking over to their daughter's bedside, and standing on either side of her.

"Mary, honey, its Mom. I'm right here," murmured Annie, taking Mary's limp right hand and stroking it tenderly. "Dad's here too. We both love you very much, and we'll never leave you. You have to wake up now. Please! We all love you so much! You just have to get better and wake up! Please, Mary!"

Eric took Mary's left hand into both of his, careful not to jostle all the tubes and wires around it. "Mary, its Dad," he said huskily, his eyes filled with tears at the sight of his once vibrant daughter, lying so weak and frail. "I love you so much, kid and I'm so sorry! I'm just so sorry. I've made a lot of mistakes, and I'll do whatever I can to try to make it up to you. Your whole family loves you so much, and we will do anything to help you. But first, you have to wake up and get better, because we all need you. We love you, Mary! Please just wake up! We'll work everything out. C'mon, kid! Do it for your old dad! Just open those beautiful brown eyes of yours and everything will be okay!"

Over the next ten minutes, Reverend and Annie Camden sat with their daughter, talking to her, and lovingly holding her hands in theirs. When it was time to go, Eric and Annie each kissed her forehead gently, before leaving the room.

To Be Continued….


	12. Waiting & Talking

**Author's Notes: **Same author's notes & usual disclaimers apply. I don't own any of the characters, except those I create, I'm not making any money off them, yadda, yadda, yadda…

For more information, and specific details, please see the complete Author's Notes at the beginning of any of the first six chapters of this fanfiction story.

Also, if there are any errors in the timeline of real life as to events that occur or occurred (such as when certain movies came into theaters, or when certain events happened) it was not intentional.

Finally, I am not a doctor. Although a lot of people in my family, including my mother, are doctors, I am not. I tried to get as much information as I could from medical research sites, or links to information on the Internet. What I know about medicine comes from growing up with doctors in my family, and from watching shows like "ER", "Strong Medicine", "Third Watch" and "Chicago Hope" on TV. So if I get some of the medical terms wrong, or use them in the wrong context, please excuse and forgive me for the errors & hold off throwing the rotten tomatoes!

**Summary: **What happens when Mary is kicked out & sent to live with her grandparents? Set after the episode, "Bye".

**Rating: **PG - PG-13 in first few chapters, then may or may not increase to R rating, depending on author's whims! :)

**Recap (Previously on "Mary's Fate"): **Mary was kicked out and sent to Buffalo to live with her grandparents. Soon after, she decided to commit suicide. She swallowed all the pills in the medicine cabinet, collapsed and passed out, The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George and his father found Mary unconscious on the bathroom floor, in a small pool of blood (from hitting her head on the hard, tile floor when she fell).

Mary was rushed to Buffalo General Hospital by ambulance, and the Colonel & Grandma Ruth went with her. George and his dad stayed behind to call Eric and Annie. When they heard what had happened to their daughter, they immediately took the next available flight to Buffalo, leaving their other kids in Glenoak with Hank and Julie. George and Will picked them up at the airport and drove them straight to the hospital. At the end of the last chapter, Eric and Annie just finished seeing Mary, after speaking with her doctors, who told them that Mary's condition is extremely critical, and that it's very unlikely that she'll survive.

**Contact: **Any extra comments (beyond the review) questions, or concerns, Email me at: benbrattlover at gmail dot com

Enjoy & after you're done, please click the link at the bottom of the page to leave me a review! :)

* * *

After visiting with Mary, in the Intensive Care Unit, Eric and Annie, came out into the hall, still stunned and shaken at the sight of their eldest, and once successful daughter's very shocking appearance. The Colonel, Grandma Ruth, George and Will rushed right over to them.

"Colonel, Mom, You should go in now and see her." Eric whispered, as his parents paused, scrutinizing the expression on his and Annie's face.

"Eric, Annie, what is it?" asked the Colonel. "How is she doing?"

Eric just shook his head sadly. "She is just so weak and fragile," he answered, feeling his eyes starting to fill with tears again. He gazed upward, blinking quickly to try to get rid of them. "I don't know! I just don't know!"

Patting his son's shoulder sympathetically, John and Ruth entered the ICU to see their grand-daughter, as Eric and Annie shed their gown, mask and gloves in the nearest trash can and headed for the Intensive Care Waiting Room, with George and Will.

In the waiting room, the theme song for "Jeopardy" blared loudly in the background on one television, while across the room "Days of Our Lives" droned on another TV. As Annie sinked into one of the chairs, exhausted, and George & Will sat down close by, Eric started pacing the floor restlessly. After several minutes, the Colonel and Ruth entered the room. They stumbled in, holding each other, their faces as white as a sheet, obviously shaken by Mary's shocking appearance and condition.

"Dad?" broached Eric tentatively.

The Colonel just shook his head, as he collapsed into one of the hospital chairs, dazed. "In all my life, in all my years in the Marines, and fighting in wars I've seen some pretty horrible things. But nothing as bad as seeing my beautiful grand-daughter, Mary so, so….." his voice broke, as his eyes filled with tears, which he quickly tried to shield anyone from seeing. "This is not right! It's against nature! I'm supposed to be the one to die first – before my children, and grandchildren! I'm a soldier – a U.S. Marine! I've fought in wars, and I'm supposed to put my life on the line. I should be the one who's dying – NOT Mary! This is not natural! It's not right! It's just not right!"

"I know, Dad." Eric whispered softly. "I know."

All through the rest of the morning, and afternoon, Eric, Annie, Ruth, the Colonel, and George took turns sitting with Mary, and talking to her, hoping for a miracle. Every few hours, Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang came by on rounds. Each time, they examined Mary, and checked in with her family to report that, unfortunately, Mary's condition had not changed, she remained in a deep coma, and that they were running several tests, including an EEG (electro-encephalogram) to determine the extent & severity of damage to her brain. The doctors told Eric, Annie, George, Will, Ruth and the Colonel that they would keep them informed and let them know as soon as the test results came in. After Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang left, Eric, Annie, Ruth and the Colonel went back to alternating between visiting Mary, and pacing the floor in the waiting room restlessly. As they refused to leave the ICU floor even for a short time, George or Will brought them coffee, soda, or food from the hospital cafeteria, a few times during the day.

Finally around 7 in the evening, the Colonel decided to send George home with Will.

George wasn't having any of it, though, and started to protest. "But, Dad, NO! Please!"

"No buts, son!" the Colonel replied sternly. "You're going home, and that's FINAL! Except for when you went to the airport to pick up Eric and Annie, you and Will have been here almost constantly since last night. You've got to go home now. You have school tomorrow. You've already missed one day of school and you cannot miss anymore. You need go home, and call a classmate to get the assignments you missed so you can finish them before you go back tomorrow…"

"Dad!" interrupted George indignantly. "That's not fair! I want to stay here with all of you, and with Mary!"

The Colonel put up his hand to stop any objections. "No arguments, son! Your mother and I will call you immediately wherever you are and let you know if there are any changes. But you need to go home with Will, and go to school tomorrow as usual. That's an order, from Colonel Camden!"

George sighed, as his shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right, all right. I'll go," he acquiesced reluctantly. "But what about all of you?"

"Oh, we'll be alright. Don't worry about us. We'll manage." Eric assured his younger, adopted brother. "Dad's right. I promise, we'll let you know right away if Mary's condition changes. But you have school tomorrow, and you need to go home, do your homework, and get a good night's sleep."

After George and Will left, Eric, Annie, Ruth and the Colonel spent the rest of the night alternating between checking on Mary, restlessly pacing the floor, or trying to doze off in brief snatches, sitting in the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chairs.

Finally at about 8 o'clock, the next morning, Dr. Kingman, and Dr. Zhang entered the waiting room, accompanied by a slim, willowy brunette, all with grim, dejected expressions on their faces.

"Reverend Camden."

At the sound of the doctor's voice, calling his name, Eric's head shot up with a jolt, though groggy and temporarily disoriented, he quickly turned his head to look at Annie, in a panic, before looking at the doctors, confused for a couple seconds.

"Reverend Camden? Reverend Camden?" Dr. Zhang touched Eric's shoulder gently. "We need to talk to you and your family about your daughter Mary's condition."

Eric looked at his wife, who, incredibly, was fast asleep sitting straight up in the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chair with her head leaning against him. With a nod, he nudged Annie awake with his shoulder.

"Annie, Annie. Wake up, hon. The doctors are here," murmured Rev. Camden as he reached over to the next couple chairs, and touched his parents on their shoulders to waken them. "Mom, Dad, Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang are here and they want to talk to us about Mary."

Eric, Annie, Ruth and the Colonel followed Dr. Kingman, Dr. Zhang and the brunette woman into an empty conference room. Once everyone was seated, Dr. Kingman opened up Mary's chart on the table and taking a deep breath, sighed heavily before speaking.

"Reverend Camden, Mrs. Camden, I really wish that we had better news to give you. But like we told you, we have been monitoring Mary since she was brought in. We have conducted several tests to determine the extent of damage. One of the tests we ran was an electro-encephalogram, or EEG, which measures a patient's level of brain activity."

Dr. Kingman paused for a few moments to take a breath, as Eric, sensing the news that is coming, started gripping his chair's armrests so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"Unfortunately, we've run several EEG's over the last 48 hours or so since Mary was brought in, and they show that there is no significant or meaningful brain activity…" Dr. Kingman explained slowly, before the Colonel crossly interrupted her.

"So what is it that you're saying?" barked the Colonel. "Speak English, ma'am!"

"Dad…." warned Eric, putting his hand on his father's shoulder to try to calm him down. But the Colonel just brushed him off, turning back to the doctors.

"Well?" the Colonel demanded impatiently. "What does that mean? Is my grand-daughter going to recover, or not?"

Dr. Kingman and Dr. Zhang exchanged a grim look, as they shook their heads. "I'm afraid not," replied Dr. Zhang. "Reverend Camden, Colonel Camden, Mrs. Camden, we're so sorry to have to tell you this, but because the EEG's show no significant or meaningful brain activity, there is absolutely no chance that your daughter will ever regain consciousness. Clinically, Mary is brain-dead."

"NO!" Annie let out an ear-piercing scream, as she jumped up from her chair so fast, that she knocked it to the ground. "NO! It's NOT TRUE! NO!"

With his eyes filled with tears and rolling down his face, Eric tried to comfort his wife. "Annie, honey, please."

"NO! You're lying! Mary WILL recover! She'll get better, then she'll wake up, and we can all go back home to Glenoak, and everything will all be fine, like the way it was before! Just wait and see!" shrieked Annie as she ran out of the room. "Mary WILL get better! You'll all see!"

Reverend Camden, the Colonel, Ruth, Dr. Kingman, Dr. Zhang, and the brunette woman all watched in silence as Annie fled the room.

To Be Continued….

Next Chapter: "Hard Decisions…"


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